The controversy in F1 continues: bad news for Red Bull and Verstappen due to engine concessions
The FIA published this Wednesday the second measurement of the year of ADUO (Additional Development and Update Opportunities), the system implemented since this course to allow the engines behind to progress and increase equality. And the controversy continues, with Red Bull as a great victim.
This system measures the performance of each manufacturer’s combustion engine every 6 races to update its status within the allowed concessions, providing more development opportunities and more work time on the test bench and simulations to those teams that are further behind a set range, among other issues, in addition to advantages in the budget ceiling for the creation of their engine evolutions.
It was surprising at first that the regulations of the ADUO It only measured the power of the combustion engine and not the entire power unit, formed by the combustion engine and the electrical part. Above all, because electrical energy management and software are being key to the results because the current 2026 engines have increased the electrical power by half compared to the total.
And that left a surprising first result: Mercedes, the great dominator at the beginning, did not have the best combustion engine. Red Bull-Ford had it. This gave Mercedes the opportunity to continue improving its engine despite being clearly dominant, with a leading power unit set due to its great energy management.
This generated criticism in the paddock and Red Bull was dissatisfied, because overall, it was clear that Mercedes had the best power unit. And in fact, Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes, did not hesitate to assure after the Belgian GP that Mercedes had the dominant engine: “We have the best engine.”
And in the second measurement, it happened again. The controversy continues. According to the FIA’s analysis, the results are the same as the first evaluation.
Results of the second measurement
Red Bull still has the best combustion engine and mercedes is between two and four percent away, allowing mercedes present another engine evolution in 2026 (they are not expected to do so) and, above all, a new engine evolution for 2027.
On the contrary, Red Bullby continuing to have the best combustion engine, will not be eligible for an engine upgrade by 2027, something that greatly complicates things for those of Milton Keynes and Max Verstappen in their aspirations to get closer to the fight for victories next year. They must continue with the same engine and gain performance through their aerodynamic package and evolution of their car concept.
For its part, Audi, Ferrari and Honda they remain more than 4% of the Red Bull engine and they continue with the same concessions, which gave them the right to carry out two evolutions this year and another two in 2027.
Thus, as there were no changes in the results of the measurements compared to the first evaluation, no more evolution options were given to any of the motorcyclists and they maintained the ones they already had.
Ferrari has already presented the first one focused on reliability, but much is expected for the second one that will debut in Monza next week, with more horsepower.
Audi was the first to carry an ADUO evolution, but it will not present a second one in 2026. And Honda, the engine that is further away, presented its improvement in Zandvoort, already after this second measurement of the course, in theory with more horses that still need to be unlocked. Honda is not expected to present any further improvements this year and must focus on a major evolution for the 2027 engine.
