Red Bull Racing believes that Mercedes currently holds the reference position among power unit manufacturers in Formula 1. While the paddock awaits the first results of the FIA’s new evaluation program, Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies highlighted the competitor’s performance, but also praised the work done by Red Bull Powertrains-Ford in their debut project in the category.
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Expectations revolve around the system called Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO), created to prevent a manufacturer from building a prolonged advantage, as happened in the early years of the hybrid era. The mechanism evaluates the performance of manufacturers’ internal combustion engines at three points throughout the season.
The first analysis window opened after the fifth round of the championship, held in Canada on May 24. The FIA is expected to release its conclusions up to two weeks after the race, and any decision could directly influence the balance of power among manufacturers.
For Red Bull, the topic is of special importance. The team currently occupies fourth position in the constructors’ championship, with 57 points, after a complicated start to the season. Even so, the project developed in partnership with Ford has received positive evaluations since pre-season testing.
According to Mekies, the performance achieved by the new engine division exceeded initial expectations. The director emphasized that the challenge faced by the group was enormous, considering that the structure had to be created practically from scratch in just a few years.
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“I can only say what we believe the order of forces to be. We think the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford staff did an extraordinary job to put us on the grid in a position to compete, starting from a project that, a few years ago, was effectively just a piece of land behind Red Bull Racing,” he stated.
The Frenchman emphasized that the evolution of the operation deserves recognition regardless of comparison with competitors. For him, the speed with which the program developed demonstrates the technical capability of the team responsible for the new power unit.
“This was nothing short of phenomenal,” Mekies added, commenting on the progress achieved by Red Bull Powertrains-Ford. While the FIA finalizes its first ADUO analysis, the team awaits to discover if it will receive any benefit from the system or if the performance presented so far already places it close to the main competitors.
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