Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has pushed back against recent chatter suggesting that his squad possesses the most powerful power unit on the grid. He clarified that Red Bull does not currently have the absolute best internal combustion engine (ICE) and that the team is counting on the upcoming Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) window to close any performance gap. The 2026 Formula One regulations introduce a new balancing mechanism designed to help manufacturers that fall behind the leader by at least two percent in ICE output.
This ADUO provision grants those teams a series of development slots during the season, allowing them to introduce upgrades that could bring them back into contention. The first of these windows was slated to open after the Miami Grand Prix, but the schedule may be shifted because the opening two races of the year – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – were cancelled amid the Middle‑East conflict. Mercedes has dominated the early phase of the championship, winning the first three rounds and sitting comfortably at the top of the standings, 119 points clear of Red Bull, which currently occupies sixth place.
Despite this points disparity, some media outlets have speculated that Red Bull’s power unit may actually be the strongest on the grid, a claim that would make the team eligible for ADUO assistance. Mekies dismissed that notion outright when speaking to Sky Sports News. "Is our engine at the level of the very best?
Absolutely not," he said. "Do we hope to be in the group that can receive the chance to catch up? Yes, we certainly hope so." Mekies echoed the sentiment expressed by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who argued that ADUO should be used to narrow the gap rather than allow a team to leap ahead of its rivals.
Mekies was emphatic that Mercedes currently holds the superior ICE, and that the ADUO system is intended to give other manufacturers a chance to close the deficit. The rulebook outlines three distinct ADUO periods throughout the season. Any power unit that is measured to be at least two percent slower than the leading ICE will be awarded a set of development tokens for that window.
Wolff has suggested that only Honda – the supplier for Aston Martin – truly needs the extra aid, while Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are roughly on par with Mercedes. In a separate written interview, Mekies quantified Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull as roughly three‑tenths of a second per lap, attributing a large portion of that margin to the German team's ICE.
He explained, "Mercedes is clearly ahead of most of us, and Honda is especially behind. The others – Ferrari and Audi – are probably quite close to us. Extracting comparable combustion‑engine performance across all teams is a complex task, and the overall results give us the most accurate picture of where each team stands." Red Bull’s sluggish start to the season has fueled speculation about the future of four‑time world champion Max Verstappen with the outfit. Verstappen, who has voiced dissatisfaction with the 2026 rule changes, hinted in Japan that he might consider stepping away from Formula 1 at the end of the year.
Mekies, however, remains optimistic that the forthcoming upgrades will not only improve the car’s pace but also rekindle Verstappen’s enthusiasm. "The Max we see is a fully committed Max.
He wants a fast car and he’s helping the team to get one. He brings all his energy to that cause," Mekies said. "He’s passionate about the sport and isn’t shy about speaking up when he feels something needs to change. The upcoming regulation step for Miami is something he’s embracing.
Whether it will be enough remains to be seen, but we have time to find out." He added that the team’s priority is to deliver a car that Verstappen can consistently push, noting that the first three races presented a particularly challenging package for both Verstappen and his teammate Isack Hadjar. "We need to give him a car he can push on a regular basis. It may not instantly translate into podiums, but it will allow him to unleash his ‘Max effect’ and give us a solid foundation for development," Mekies explained.
Mekies expressed confidence that, even if the Miami upgrades do not resolve every issue, the team will identify and eliminate the remaining limitations, much as they did in the previous season. "We will get to the bottom of what’s holding us back, and you’ll see more smiles on Max’s face as the car improves," he concluded.
The Formula 1 calendar returns on May 1‑3 with the Miami Grand Prix, which also marks the second Sprint weekend of the year. The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and viewers can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract.