Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has pushed back against rumors suggesting that his squad possesses the most powerful power unit in the Formula One grid. He emphasized that Red Bull does not currently enjoy the very best internal combustion engine (ICE) and that the team is counting on the upcoming additional development and upgrade window to close any performance gap. The 2026 technical regulations introduce a new balancing mechanism known as Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO).
This provision is designed to give manufacturers whose engines fall two percent or more behind the leading unit a chance to develop and improve their power units during the season. The first ADUO window was originally slated to open after the Miami Grand Prix, but the schedule may be altered because the opening two rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled amid the ongoing Middle‑East conflict. Mercedes has dominated the first three events of the year, sitting at the top of the championship standings with a 119‑point cushion over Red Bull, which currently occupies sixth place.
Despite this points disparity, some media outlets have speculated that Red Bull’s ICE might actually be the strongest on the grid, a claim that would make the team eligible for ADUO assistance. Mekies dismissed that notion when speaking to Sky Sports News, stating, "Is it at the level of the very best?
Absolutely not. Therefore, 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 recent comment that ADUO should be used to help lagging manufacturers "catch up" rather than to allow them to "leapfrog" the leaders. Mekies was clear that, in his view, the Silver Arrows still hold the advantage when it comes to pure ICE performance.
The ADUO framework outlines three distinct periods during the season when eligible teams can receive extra development parts. To qualify, a manufacturer must be assessed as at least two percent slower than the benchmark engine, which is currently Mercedes’ unit.
Wolff has suggested that only Honda – the supplier for Aston Martin – truly needs the regulatory boost, while Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are roughly on par with Mercedes. In a separate interview with print media, Mekies quantified Mercedes’ edge over Red Bull as roughly three‑tenths of a second per lap, attributing a large portion of that gap to the German team’s superior ICE. He added, "What we see is certainly Mercedes, a long way ahead of most of us. And yes, you're right, one guy – Honda – 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 sluggish start has also fueled speculation about the future of four‑time world champion Max Verstappen with the team. Verstappen, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the 2026 rule set, hinted in Japan that he might step away from Formula 1 at the end of the season if the situation does not improve.
Mekies, however, remains optimistic that the 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'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." He continued, "We are conscious that the priority is that we give him a car he can push with. And this has not much to do with the regs.
We knew we gave him and Isack (Hadjar) a very difficult car in the first three races. And we need to give him a car he can consistently push with. Then after, it doesn't mean that it will be fast enough for positions, but it means he can start to bring his 'Max effect' and we can start to build development onto that car." Mekies expressed confidence that, even if the Miami upgrades do not solve every issue instantly, the team will methodically identify and eliminate the factors limiting performance, much as they did in the previous season.
"You will see more and more smiles on Max's face," he concluded. The next race weekend, featuring the Miami Grand Prix and the season's second Sprint event, is set to take place from May 1‑3 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
The event will provide Red Bull with a crucial opportunity to test the new components granted under ADUO and to gauge whether the performance gap to Mercedes can be narrowed as the season progresses.