The first assessment by the FIA (International Automobile Federation) on the so-called Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) brought an unexpected result for Red Bull, which was identified as the benchmark in internal combustion engine performance, a situation that prevents any immediate evolution of the power unit.
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The results of the analysis were presented to the teams during the Monaco GP weekend. As previously defined by the FIA, the assessment exclusively considered the performance of the internal combustion engine (ICE), without including the electrical components of the power unit.
Before the data was released, the general expectation was that Mercedes would occupy the benchmark position, especially given the dominance demonstrated by the German team throughout the current season. However, the assessment indicated a different scenario: Red Bull Ford Powertrains was considered the manufacturer with the strongest combustion engine on the grid.
Although the result represents an important technical achievement for Red Bull Ford, according to the GPBlog portal, the decision was not entirely positively received within the team, which chose not to comment officially on the matter.
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The possibility of contesting also seems limited. According to information obtained by the same portal, the assessment results cannot be formally contested, even though Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies stated that the numbers are not yet official.
Although the FIA has not yet officially published the assessment, it is expected that no significant changes will occur in the presented results. Thus, until a new analysis is carried out, Red Bull will have to monitor the development of rival engines without being able to promote updates to its own power unit.
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