Mercedes' fuel supplier, Title sponsor Petronas facing delays in 2026 sustainable fuel homologation

That is the claim of a report on Motorsport.com ahead of the second 2026 Formula 1 preseason test being held in Bahrain between February 18 and 20.

If certification is not granted before the season opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 6-8, Mercedes powered teams could be forced to run a temporary blend of fuel.

Until 2025, fossil fuels powered F1 cars and the approval for those was relatively straightforward. Manufacturers submitted samples to an FIA affiliated laboratory in the United Kingdom, with compliance confirmation typically issued within 2 to 3 weeks.

The shift to fully sustainable fuels for 2026 has changed that process significantly with the FIA delegating certification to a British company called Zemo Partnership.

Zemo Partnership must now verify not only the finished fuel blend but the entire production chain.

Under the new framework, every stage of supply is subject to inspection. Certification staff visit production facilities to ensure compliance with FIA criteria. Individual molecular compositions are analysed, and all supply chain partners must also meet regulatory standards.

The procedure is complex and inevitably time consuming, particularly in the first year of implementation. Delays in certification, whether from primary producers or secondary partners, cannot be ruled out. The FIA has made sustainable fuel a cornerstone of the 2026 regulations and is expected to apply rigorous scrutiny.

Neither Mercedes/Petronas not the FIA have officially released any communication on the matter as of now.

It is considered highly unlikely that the eight Petronas-fueled Mercedes-powered cars, McLaren, Williams and Alpine would be unable to compete in Melbourne over the weekend of the Australian Grand Prix.

However, if final approval of the intended blend is not secured in time, regulations allow teams to race with a provisional mixture.

That provisional mixture will be composed solely of the components that have been inspected and approved by Zemo Partnership.

That contingency remains available for the teams in question, although Petronas’ precise strategy should matter go pear-shaped has not been disclosed.

Mercedes have been tipped to deliver a strong power unit/chassis package for the 2026 F1 regulation changes.