(Motorsport-Total.com) – The handling of the first ADUO period, which covered Formula 1 races up to the Canadian Grand Prix, continues to dominate discussions in the paddock. The FIA informed all manufacturers in Monaco about the results, but a public announcement is still pending.
Read more ADUO: Why Red Bull requested an FIA review
The reason for this is that one manufacturer – logically Red Bull Ford Powertrains – is extremely dissatisfied with the initial result and has asked the FIA for additional reviews. This process is primarily a factual verification to ensure that all sensors and data points used are correct.
The real problem, however, seems to lie deeper, particularly in the way the ADUO system was designed. The measurements are based exclusively on the internal combustion engine, while the development opportunities available to manufacturers after ADUO classification go significantly further.
The tokens can also be used for components such as the battery and the MGU-K. However, this is not Red Bull’s main concern, as Mekies explained to Motorsport-Total.com.
“No, we completely agree that the rules provide for only trying to estimate the pecking order of ICE performance. We are completely in agreement with that. We all agreed on that, and we don’t believe that’s the problem,” said the Red Bull team principal after the Spanish Grand Prix.
When Mekies says that everyone agreed on this, the Frenchman is referring to discussions in spring 2025. FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis explained that he would have been open to making the parameters somewhat more complex.
However, all teams and manufacturers had agreed to keep the measurements as simple as possible – i.e., to consider only the performance of the internal combustion engine.
Do on-track results show the true picture?
Red Bull primarily wants to gain a better understanding of the data on which the FIA based this first ranking – with Red Bull at the top, Mercedes with one upgrade opportunity, and Ferrari, Audi, and Honda with two each.
Read more Toto Wolff: Reliability now has «top priority» at Mercedes
“We definitely want to have a deeper discussion because we don’t see a single data example that suggests we have an advantage over our friends at Mercedes,” said Mekies.
Should the FIA results remain unchanged, Red Bull could find itself in a difficult position. Mercedes could theoretically decide to use its token only after the next ADUO evaluations or to use it in the electrical part of the power unit.
This could keep Red Bull at the top of the ranking. Mekies is aware of this possibility, which is why he wants to ensure that the FIA’s figures are correct before a final decision with potentially far-reaching consequences is made.
Crashingly failed: These Formula 1 major projects were never successful
“You need an extremely high degree of certainty in evaluating the ICE pecking order to have the right confidence to attribute these [upgrades] to the dominant team and not to the team chasing the dominant team,” explains Mekies.
“Especially when you see relative performance fluctuations from track to track that perfectly match the sensitivity of ICE performance,” said Mekies. Red Bull emphasizes that its own assessment apparently aligns with the on-track results.
“You go to Canada, high ICE performance sensitivity, we qualify in sixth place. You go to Monaco, low ICE performance sensitivity, we are only about 0.04 seconds off pole. You go to Barcelona, again high ICE performance sensitivity, and qualify in sixth place again.”
“We don’t see a single data example where we rate ourselves higher than the competition – let alone consistently above them,” Mekies clarifies.
Read more Toto Wolff: Reliability now has «top priority» at Mercedes