Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has publicly dismissed rumours suggesting that his squad possesses the most powerful power unit on the grid. He stressed that Red Bull does not currently enjoy the very best internal combustion engine (ICE) and therefore looks forward to the upcoming opportunity to develop its unit under the new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) framework that will be introduced for the 2026 season. The 2026 regulations include a performance‑balancing clause designed to help teams that fall behind the leading manufacturer by at least two percent.
Those teams will be granted extra development slots – the ADUO – allowing them to work on their power‑unit components during designated windows. The first of these windows was originally slated to open after the Miami Grand Prix, but the schedule may be shifted because the opening two rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled amid the ongoing Middle‑East conflict. Mercedes has dominated the first three races of the year, sitting comfortably at the top of the championship with a 119‑point lead over Red Bull, which currently occupies sixth place. Despite this points gap, some media outlets have speculated that Red Bull’s engine might actually be the strongest in terms of pure ICE performance, a metric that determines eligibility for the ADUO upgrades.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Mekies was unequivocal: "Is our engine at the level of the very best? Absolutely not. So, do we hope to be in the group that can receive the chance to catch up?
Yes, we certainly hope to be in that category." He echoed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s recent comments that the ADUO system is intended to allow lagging manufacturers to close the gap rather than to leapfrog the leaders. Mekies made it clear that, in his view, the Silver Arrows still hold the advantage when it comes to the ICE. The ADUO scheme outlines three distinct periods throughout the season when eligible teams can introduce upgrades. To qualify, a team must be measured as at least two percent slower in ICE performance than the top‑performing manufacturer.
Wolff has suggested that Honda, which supplies Aston Martin’s power unit, is the only outfit that truly needs the extra help, while Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are roughly on par with Mercedes. In a separate written interview, Mekies estimated that Mercedes enjoys roughly a three‑tenths of a second per lap advantage over Red Bull, attributing a large portion of that gap to the German team’s superior ICE.
He explained: "What we see is certainly Mercedes, a long way ahead of most of us. And yes, you're right, one guy – Honda – is particularly behind.
The other guys are probably quite close to us, Ferrari and Audi, and fair enough, Honda is probably struggling a bit more. To extract the right combustion‑engine performance in a fair way across the teams is very difficult. I think overall results are probably giving you the best, the most fair picture, of where everybody is at." Red Bull’s shaky start to the campaign has fueled speculation about the future of four‑time world champion Max Verstappen with the team beyond the current season. Verstappen, who has voiced his displeasure with the 2026 rulebook, hinted in Japan that he may consider stepping away from Formula 1 at the end of the year if the situation does not improve.
Mekies, however, remains optimistic that the forthcoming upgrades will give Verstappen a car capable of delivering the performance he expects. He described the Dutch driver as fully committed and eager to push the machinery: "The Max we see is a fully committed Max.
He wants a fast car and he's helping the team to get a fast car. He's bringing all his energy to that." He added that Verstappen’s passion for the sport is evident: "He raised his voice when he felt things needed to be done.
We have a step forward for the regulations coming for Miami. He's embracing that.
Will it be enough? We have time to see together if it's going to be enough or not." Mekies stressed that the priority is to hand Verstappen a car he can consistently attack with, noting that the first three races have been particularly challenging for both Max and his teammate Isack Hadjar.
"We knew we gave them a very difficult car in the first three races, and we need to give them a car they can consistently push with," he said. While acknowledging that the upgrades may not instantly catapult the team to the front of the grid, he believes they will allow Verstappen to unleash his "Max effect" and provide a solid platform for further development. "I have every confidence that things may not be fixed for Miami, but the team will get to the bottom of what is limiting us, just as we did last year, and you will see more and more smiles on Max's face," Mekies concluded. The Miami Grand Prix, scheduled for May 1‑3, will mark the second Sprint weekend of the season and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Fans can stream the race via NOW without a contract, canceling at any time. The event will also serve as the first practical test of the ADUO system, offering a glimpse into how the regulatory balance intended to level the playing field will unfold in real time.