Red Bull explains FIA engine review: “No data sample indicates an advantage over Mercedes”

The handling of Formula 1's first Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) period, covering the races through the Canadian Grand Prix, continues to dominate discussions in the paddock. The FIA informed all manufacturers of the results in Monaco, but a public announcement is still pending.

This is because one manufacturer – logically Red Bull-Ford Powertrains – is highly dissatisfied with the initial outcome and has asked the FIA to carry out additional checks. That process is primarily a factual verification to ensure that all sensors and data points used are correct.

The actual issue appears to run deeper, particularly in the way the ADUO system has been designed. The measurements are based solely on the internal combustion engine, while the development opportunities available once manufacturers qualify for ADUO extend much further. The tokens can also be used for components such as the battery and the MGU-K.

That, however, is not Red Bull’s main concern, as team boss Laurent Mekies clarified when asked by Motorsport.com.

“No, no, we are completely okay with the fact that the rules state that you should only try to estimate the pecking order of the ICE power. We are completely okay with that. We have all agreed to that and we don't think that is the issue,” the Red Bull team principal said after the Barcelona Grand Prix.

When Mekies says everyone agreed to it, the Frenchman refers to discussions held in the spring of 2025. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has explained that he would have been open to making the parameters somewhat more complex, but that all teams and manufacturers agreed to keep the measurements as simple as possible – meaning just looking at ICE power.

On-track results “perfectly” in line with ICE power sensitivity

Red Bull mainly wants a better understanding of the data on which the FIA based this initial ranking, with Red Bull at the top, Mercedes receiving one upgrade opportunity, and Ferrari, Audi and Honda receiving two.

“We certainly would like to have a deeper conversation because we do not see one single data sample that indicates that we would have an advantage over our friends at Mercedes,” Mekies added. 

Laurent Mekies would like a "deeper conversation" over ADUO

Photo by: Erik Junius

If the FIA results remain unchanged, Red Bull could find itself in a difficult position. Mercedes could theoretically choose not to use its token until after the next ADUO assessments, or use it on the electrical side of the power unit, which could keep Red Bull at the top of the rankings and effectively leave it checkmated.

Mekies is aware of that possibility, which is why he wants to be certain that the FIA’s figures are correct before a final decision with potentially far-reaching consequences is taken.

“Certainly, you would need to have extreme certainty in the way you are assessing the ICE pecking order, in order to have the right confidence to give it to the dominant team and not to the team that is chasing the dominant team,” Mekies continued when asked by Motorsport.com.

“Especially when you get relative performance variations from track layout to track layout that are perfectly consistent with the ICE power sensitivity.”

Red Bull emphasises that its own assessment appears to match the on-track results.

“You go to Canada, high ICE power sensitivity, we qualified sixth. You go to Monaco, low ICE power sensitivity, we qualified pretty much 0.04 from pole. You go to Barcelona, again high ICE power sensitivity, you qualify sixth again.

“We do not see one single data sample where we estimate ourselves higher than competition, let alone being consistently above them.”