Red Bull triggers FIA review of ADUO results after emerging as benchmark power unit

Red Bull Ford Powertrains has been ranked as the benchmark power unit in Formula 1’s inaugural Additional Upgrade and Development Opportunities assessment, triggering a formal FIA review that has held up the public release of results beyond the governing body’s own two-week deadline following the Canadian Grand Prix.

Teams and manufacturers were informed of the ADUO outcome during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Under the results, Mercedes’ internal combustion engine trails the benchmark by between two and four percent, entitling the German manufacturer to one additional upgrade in 2025 and one more in 2026. Ferrari, Audi and Honda all fall more than four percent behind on ICE power, qualifying each for two upgrades this season and two further upgrades in 2027.

Despite those figures circulating widely throughout the paddock, an official FIA announcement has not followed. Motorsport.com understands that Red Bull — the logical party given its benchmark status — has requested an additional review. The FIA began that process on Monday, and it is expected to take between one week and ten days. The checks will verify that all sensors were functioning correctly and that all analysed data is accurate; only once confirmed will the results be formally published. Red Bull has no avenue to lodge a protest against the ADUO outcome, so the review is strictly a verification exercise.

The delay, however, points to a deeper structural problem with the mechanism itself. ADUO measures only the internal combustion engine, yet a manufacturer that qualifies for catch-up allowances is also permitted to modify electrical components, including the battery and MGU-K. That mismatch has produced a result that runs counter to the scheme’s original intent.

The consensus in the paddock is that Mercedes still operates the strongest overall power unit despite its ICE deficit to Red Bull. Under the current outcome, that dominant package would therefore be eligible for further development — precisely the scenario ADUO was designed to prevent. The flaw lies in the measurement methodology, and the results of the first assessment period have brought it into sharp relief at the worst possible moment for the FIA.