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Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has come out publicly against F1’s first Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) period.
ADUO concluded that Red Bull has a better power unit than Mercedes’, despite race results and the grid largely acknowledging that Mercedes’ power unit is the best.
F1 has not announced its official findings, holding off while Red Bull challenges the results. They are asking for a review of the measurement process.
AUDO is intended to provide power units with additional development benefits to help them catch up, and naturally, Red Bull does not want to miss out on any developmental boosts.
Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies arrives at the track before the start of the 2025 US Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The findings were especially puzzling, given, again, how dominant Mercedes has been from a pure power-unit perspective.
AUDO only measures the power of the internal combustion engine at this point, neglecting the car’s electrical system.
However, Red Bull’s challenge does not stem from the unaccounted-for part of the power unit.
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – JUNE 07: Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on June 07, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202606070278 // Usage for editorial use only //
Instead, they want to better understand how things are exactly measured since 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,” Mekies added.
“We do not see one single data sample where we estimate ourselves higher than competition, let alone being consistently above them.”
Likely, many teams around the grid would agree with Red Bull’s claim; however, it is possible that Mercedes’ big advantages stem from the electrical side and their energy efficiency.
If ADUO continues to measure conventional power rather than electrical power, Mercedes could end up maintaining their dominance, and Red Bull might be on the short end of the stick.
Continue reading...
ADUO concluded that Red Bull has a better power unit than Mercedes’, despite race results and the grid largely acknowledging that Mercedes’ power unit is the best.
F1 has not announced its official findings, holding off while Red Bull challenges the results. They are asking for a review of the measurement process.
AUDO is intended to provide power units with additional development benefits to help them catch up, and naturally, Red Bull does not want to miss out on any developmental boosts.
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Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies arrives at the track before the start of the 2025 US Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The findings were especially puzzling, given, again, how dominant Mercedes has been from a pure power-unit perspective.
AUDO only measures the power of the internal combustion engine at this point, neglecting the car’s electrical system.
However, Red Bull’s challenge does not stem from the unaccounted-for part of the power unit.
What is Red Bull’s case?
You must be registered for see images attach
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – JUNE 07: Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on June 07, 2026 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202606070278 // Usage for editorial use only //
Instead, they want to better understand how things are exactly measured since 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,” Mekies added.
“We do not see one single data sample where we estimate ourselves higher than competition, let alone being consistently above them.”
Likely, many teams around the grid would agree with Red Bull’s claim; however, it is possible that Mercedes’ big advantages stem from the electrical side and their energy efficiency.
If ADUO continues to measure conventional power rather than electrical power, Mercedes could end up maintaining their dominance, and Red Bull might be on the short end of the stick.
Continue reading...
