Red Bull demands 'extreme certainty' over FIA power unit pecking order

Red Bull has demanded "extreme certainty" from the FIA over the official power unit pecking order before ADUO tokens are handed out. Team boss Laurent Mekies rejected claims that Red Bull Powertrains holds a dominant ICE advantage, citing recent qualifying data to argue that track characteristics, not engine superiority, explain performance swings.

Why it matters:

The ADUO system lets struggling manufacturers catch up with extra ICE development tokens. If the FIA incorrectly names Red Bull as the benchmark, rivals could gain an unfair development edge while Red Bull is frozen, altering the competitive balance of the 2026 regulations era.

The Details:

• Lewis Hamilton recently said Ferrari would receive two ADUO upgrades and Mercedes one, after FIA evaluations reportedly found Red Bull Powertrains has the strongest ICE.
• The ADUO process measures only ICE output, excluding the complex electrical systems that account for roughly 50% of total power.
• Mekies cited qualifying results as proof: sixth in Canada (high ICE sensitivity), within 0.04s of pole in Monaco (low sensitivity), and sixth again in Spain (high sensitivity).
• He said Red Bull sees no data suggesting it sits above rivals, warning against awarding tokens to "the team that is chasing the dominant team."

Looking Ahead:

The FIA is expected to formalize its findings soon, but Mekies' intervention signals a brewing political fight over the methodology. With Audi joining the grid in 2026, an accurate ICE hierarchy is essential to prevent disputes and ensure the ADUO system meets its goal of balancing competition.