Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has pushed back against rumours suggesting that his squad possesses the most powerful power unit in Formula 1. He clarified 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. The 2026 technical regulations introduce ADUO as a performance‑balancing tool.
Teams that fall two percent or more behind the leading manufacturer in ICE performance will be granted extra development slots during designated windows. This is intended to narrow the gap between the front‑running power units and those that are lagging, without allowing any team to leapfrog the competition.
The first ADUO window was originally slated to open after the Miami Grand Prix, but the schedule may shift because the opening two rounds of the season – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – were cancelled amid the Middle‑East conflict. Those cancellations have compressed the calendar and could delay the timing of the upgrade period.
Mercedes has dominated the opening three races, sitting atop the championship standings with a 119‑point lead over Red Bull, which currently occupies sixth place. Despite this disparity, some media outlets have speculated that Red Bull’s engine might actually be the strongest on the grid, a notion Mekies promptly dismissed. In an interview with Sky Sports News, Mekies said, "Is it at the level of the very best?
Absolutely not. So do we expect to be in that group of people able to be given the possibility to catch up?
Yes, we certainly hope to be in that category." He echoed Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff’s sentiment that ADUO is a catch‑up mechanism rather than a tool for a sudden performance jump, insisting that the "Silver Arrows" still hold the superior ICE. The ADUO system outlines three distinct periods during the season when eligible teams can receive extra development allowances.
To qualify, a team must be measured as at least two percent slower in ICE performance than the benchmark manufacturer. Wolff has suggested that only Honda, which supplies Aston Martin’s power unit, truly needs the regulatory aid, while Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are roughly on par with Mercedes. Mekies, speaking to print media, estimated Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull to be about three‑tenths of a second per lap, attributing a large portion of that gap to the German team’s ICE superiority. He added, "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 slow start has fueled speculation about the future of four‑time world champion Max Verstappen with the team beyond the current season.
Verstappen, who has voiced displeasure with the 2026 rule changes, hinted in Japan that he may consider leaving the sport after the year ends. Mekies, however, remains optimistic that forthcoming upgrades will give Verstappen a more competitive car and restore his enthusiasm.
"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," Mekies said.
He continued, "He’s passionate about the sport. As you said, 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 deliver a car that Verstappen can push to its limits, noting that the first three races presented a particularly challenging package for both the Dutch driver and rookie Isack Hadjar. "We need to give him a car he can consistently push with.
It may not be fast enough for podiums immediately, but it will allow him to unleash his ‘Max effect’ and we can build development from there," he explained. He expressed confidence that, even if the upgrades are not fully realised by the Miami event, the team will identify and address the underlying limitations as they did last season.
"You will see more and more smile on Max’s face," Mekies concluded. The Formula 1 calendar returns on 1‑3 May for the Miami Grand Prix, which also marks the season’s second Sprint weekend. The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available via NOW without a long‑term contract.