Red Bull Is F1’s ADUO ‘Benchmark’ — and Got Zero Upgrades While Mercedes Took Its Share
Formula 1’s upgrade math produced a genuinely odd result this week. The FIA named Red Bull Powertrains the benchmark under the ADUO system — the mechanism designed to hand extra development opportunities to power unit manufacturers falling behind the pack. Yet Mercedes HPP, which won 13 of 15 grands prix and swept all 15 pole positions this season, still receives one ADUO upgrade per year for 2026 and 2027. Audi, Ferrari and Honda each get two. Red Bull, the supposed reference point, gets none.
Team boss Laurent Mekies didn’t hide his surprise but kept his tone measured. ‘We will certainly welcome a discussion on making them evolve,’ he said, adding that ‘the regulations were not exactly perfect.’ For now, he said, Red Bull’s focus stays on its own programme while conversations with the FIA and rival manufacturers continue.
Audi boss Mattia Binotto backed the idea that ADUO’s underlying logic still holds, even if the execution needs work. ‘The ADUO concept is still valid. The fine-tuning is required,’ he said, describing the system as both a safety net for lagging manufacturers and a tool meant to encourage convergence at the front of the field.
Whether the FIA revisits the formula remains to be seen. The numbers, for now, speak for themselves.
Source: RacingNews365 (https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-eager-for-aduo-discussion-talks-with-fia)
