The FIA had defined Red Bull Powertrains-Ford as the reference among Formula 1 power units for the new technical era starting in 2026. The assessment, which surprised the majority of the paddock, could end up creating an unusual situation for the Milton Keynes team, which would be barred from making performance upgrades while its rivals would gain that possibility.
According to information reportedly shared with the teams before the Monaco Grand Prix, the manufacturer connected to Red Bull was considered the benchmark for the other engine suppliers. The conclusion is part of the implementation of the system known as Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO), created to prevent manufacturers from falling too far behind during the new regulatory cycle.
Under the rules, suppliers that trail the reference engine by at least 2% receive additional permissions for development. This includes the ability to introduce performance upgrades in 2026 and 2027, as well as financial benefits within the budget cap.
If the difference is between 2% and 4%, the manufacturer receives an additional margin of $3 million. Larger deficits increase this amount progressively, reaching $8 million for those who are more than 8% behind the leading engine.
According to the information disclosed, Mercedes would have been assessed with a disadvantage close to 2% relative to Red Bull. The figure draws attention because the German manufacturer had been pointed out by many in the backstage as the leading favorite to spearhead the new generation of power units. With this gap, Mercedes would be eligible to push performance upgrades.
A Ferrari would appear about 4% behind the FIA-established reference, which would grant it even more development opportunities. Audi would be between 4% and 6% behind Red Bull, while Honda would face the greatest challenge among manufacturers, with an estimated gap of 6% to 8%.
After the Monaco Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing chief Laurent Mekies avoided officially confirming these details: “It’s a bit early to comment on this. As a team we have received information, but I believe the FIA has not yet made this public. We are awaiting official confirmation from Formula 1,” he stated.
If the assessment is officially confirmed, Red Bull will face a peculiar situation. In addition to being unable to introduce performance upgrades for being regarded as the current reference, it would see all of its main rivals free to evolve their engines in the coming seasons, in an FIA attempt to maintain competitive balance in Formula 1.
