Binotto urges FIA to rethink ADUO rules as Mercedes exploits upgrade loophole

Audi Formula 1 chief Mattia Binotto has demanded a fundamental rethink of the FIA’s Accelerated Development of Underperforming Others (ADUO) scheme, arguing that the current framework can reward manufacturers who deliberately underperform on track rather than those who genuinely need a performance lifeline.

The controversy centres on Mercedes, whose power unit is widely regarded as the strongest on the 2026 grid and has helped the team win seven of the first nine grands prix. Yet because the ADUO system measures only on-track V6 output to determine eligibility for additional development work, Mercedes qualified for further upgrades — while Red Bull Ford Powertrains, whose V6 was judged the benchmark by the FIA, was locked out of extra improvements beyond the standard homologation schedule.

“In my opinion, the limit has been that it has exclusively measured performance on the track,” Binotto told Motorsport.com. “A car with an overall advantage can afford not to fully exploit the potential of its power unit. It’s possible, for example, that Mercedes had an engine with superior potential, but had no need to push it to the limit because it already had an advantage thanks to the car. If that were the case, it could have also gained additional development margin.”

Red Bull has formally contested the FIA’s findings, but successive reviews have upheld the original assessment. Rival manufacturers have long suspected that teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari may be managing their V6 outputs — whether for reliability purposes or to remain within ADUO eligibility thresholds — though no wrongdoing has been established.

Binotto was careful to stop short of accusing the FIA of error. “On the results, I’m not questioning the work done by the FIA. They have all the tools and data necessary to make their assessments, despite the limitations that any measurement system inevitably entails,” he said. His concern is structural: the scheme has drifted from its founding purpose.

“That’s why I think the regulation needs to be rethought in this regard. This wasn’t the original intent of the ADUO: the goal was to help those who were actually falling behind, not to create situations in which the true potential of a power unit might be difficult to assess.”

Audi itself was among the primary reasons the ADUO mechanism was introduced, with the German manufacturer having sought reassurance that a slow start with its debut power unit would not leave it permanently disadvantaged. In practice, Audi’s engines have made a reasonable if unspectacular beginning to the 2026 season, with Honda emerging as the manufacturer most in need of the catch-up provisions the system was designed to provide.