Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has publicly dismissed the notion that his outfit possesses the most powerful power unit on the grid. He stressed that Red Bull does not currently sit at the very top of the engine performance ladder and therefore hopes to qualify for the additional development and upgrade opportunities (ADUO) that will be available under the new 2026 regulations.
The 2026 rulebook introduces a performance‑balancing mechanism designed to help teams that fall behind the leading manufacturer by at least two percent in internal‑combustion‑engine (ICE) output. Those teams will be granted extra development slots – the ADUO – to close the gap.
The first of these upgrade windows was originally slated to open after the Miami Grand Prix, but the schedule may be shifted because the opening two races of the season – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – were cancelled amid the ongoing Middle‑East conflict. Mercedes has dominated the first three rounds, 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 suggested that Red Bull’s ICE may actually be the strongest on the grid, a claim that would make the team eligible for ADUO assistance. Mekies rejected that idea in an interview with Sky Sports News, stating unequivocally, "Is it at the level of the very best?
Absolutely not." He went on to explain that Red Bull does hope to be placed in the category of teams that can receive the extra development allowance, adding, "Hence, 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." Mekies echoed the sentiment expressed by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who argued that the ADUO system is intended to let lagging manufacturers catch up rather than leapfrog the leaders. Mekies was clear that, in his view, the "Silver Arrows" – Mercedes – 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 introduce upgrades.
To qualify, a team must be measured as at least two percent slower than the benchmark ICE, which is currently set by Mercedes. Wolff has hinted that Honda, supplying Aston Martin’s power unit, may be the only constructor that truly needs the extra aid, while he placed Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi in roughly the same performance bracket as Mercedes. In a separate written interview, Mekies quantified Mercedes’ edge over Red Bull as roughly three‑tenths of a second per lap, attributing a large portion of that difference to the German team’s superior ICE. He remarked, "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." He also highlighted the difficulty of extracting comparable combustion‑engine performance across all teams, noting that the overall results provide the most reliable picture of where each constructor stands. Red Bull’s shaky start to the year has fueled speculation about the future of four‑time world champion Max Verstappen with the team. Verstappen, who has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the 2026 regulations, hinted in Japan that he may consider leaving Formula 1 after the season ends.
Mekies, however, remains optimistic that forthcoming upgrades will give Verstappen a car capable of delivering the speed he demands and, in turn, lift his morale. "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 added that Verstappen has been vocal when he feels improvements are needed and that the team expects the upcoming regulatory changes for the Miami weekend to provide a step forward.
Mekies emphasized that the priority is to hand Verstappen a machine he can consistently push, regardless of the exact regulatory framework. "We knew we gave him and Isack a very difficult car in the first three races. And we need to give him a car he can consistently push with," he explained. While acknowledging that the upgrades may not instantly make the car a race‑winner, he believes they will allow Verstappen to unleash his "Max effect" and give the engineers a solid platform for further development.
He concluded with confidence that, even if the Miami upgrades are not a panacea, the team will identify and eliminate the performance limitations that hampered them last year, leading to more frequent smiles from Verstappen as the season progresses. Formula 1 will return on May 1‑3 for the Miami Grand Prix, the second Sprint weekend of the year, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
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