FIA takes Red Bull's ADUO evaluation results under review again

GPblog reported on Sunday evening in Monaco that Formula 1's governing body had shared the preliminary internal combustion engine figures with the teams. According to that evaluation - which determines how many engine upgrades each manufacturer is permitted to introduce - Red Bull Ford Powertrains' ICE was rated as the strongest package and therefore established as the benchmark.

Under the FIA's calculations, Mercedes was ranked behind Red Bull and would be allowed to introduce one upgrade. Ferrari, Honda and Audi were assessed as being further adrift and would therefore be permitted two upgrades.

The outcome came as a surprise to Red Bull. With the FIA yet to publish a final statement, team principal Laurent Mekies was reluctant to comment extensively on the matter, stressing that the figures remained provisional. Verstappen addressed the issue in greater detail on Thursday in Barcelona, revealing that discussions between the manufacturer and the FIA are currently ongoing.

GPblog understands that the FIA is now reviewing the results of the initial ADUO assessment once again. The purpose is not to alter the outcome, but rather to ensure that the calculations are correct and to provide Red Bull Ford with a clearer understanding of how it was classified as the benchmark.

"We are proud, just a bit confused with suddenly being portrayed as the best, because we don't feel like that," Verstappen explained.

To determine which manufacturers are eligible to benefit from the ADUO system, the FIA considers only the internal combustion engine. Red Bull previously argued that it would be difficult for the governing body to obtain an objective picture of the competitive order through such a system and accurately determine which engine is the strongest. The general expectation had been that Mercedes would come out on top, given that its power unit has won every race so far this season, including the sprint events.

Speaking to media including GPblog, Mekies stressed that accurately determining the competitive order of the various power unit manufacturers is an extremely difficult task, even for the FIA itself. The Red Bull team principal pointed to the many variables involved in modern power unit design, explaining that differences in architecture, turbo concepts and the interaction between the internal combustion engine and the electrical components make direct comparisons highly complex

For the FIA, however, the criticism from team principals and manufacturers regarding the ADUO system and the index used by the governing body was somewhat surprising. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis pointed out that the teams themselves had originally agreed to the framework.

According to Tombazis, the process is not necessarily complicated, although he remains open to making the ADUO ranking methodology more detailed by incorporating additional parameters beyond pure power output.

He also stressed that ADUO should not be viewed as a form of Balance of Performance, similar to systems used in GT racing: "It's not like suddenly you get more fuel flow rate or more ballast, or less ballast or anything like that."