Toto Wolff backs FIA intervention to aid Honda after Ben Sulayem's Alonso rally cry

Toto Wolff says Mercedes would back further FIA assistance for Honda through the ADUO system, after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem vowed to intervene to help Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin.

Honda's ICE has been ranked as the lowest-performing power unit under F1's new ADUO system, leaving Aston Martin towards the back of the field.

Why it matters:

ADUO was designed as a catch-up mechanism for manufacturers struggling with the new engine formula. With Honda off the pace, the FIA has already tweaked the rules once — but more changes are coming, and they'll need team approval.

The details:

• Speaking in Madrid, Ben Sulayem said: "There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave. He has to be successful, and then he leaves whenever he wants. Not because he was forced to leave because of the performance."
• He met Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix and said "I am going to do the changes."
• The FIA revised ADUO in May, adding a category for power units 10 per cent off the best — increasing test bench hours from 190 to 230 and allowing an $11 million downward adjustment.
• Wolff called the president's conversation with Alonso "fair enough," adding: "We want to have all of these top constructors in the sport. We want them to be competitive and successful."
• Laurent Mekies was also supportive, noting all teams voted for the earlier ADUO revisions "for the benefit of the sport."

What's next:

Any FIA proposal will go to a vote. With Alonso's patience wearing thin, pressure is mounting to deliver a solution.