The advantage attributed to Red Bull Powertrains-Ford in the combustion engine was minimized by Max Verstappen, who explained why the FIA numbers do not show the whole picture. According to the Dutch driver, the assessment only considers the internal combustion engine, without including the battery.
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After analysis by the FIA using the ADUO system, the entity pointed to Red Bull-Ford Powertrains as a reference in combustion engine performance in the first surveys of the season. Mercedes appeared with an estimated deficit between 2% and 4%, while Ferrari, Audi, and Honda were evaluated beyond this range, which gave them margin for updates.
The problem, according to Verstappen, is that the measurement does not contemplate the total power delivery of the hybrid system. Red Bull Racing itself previously contested the FIA’s conclusion, with team principal Laurent Mekies stating that the team’s telemetry data did not indicate any advantage over Mercedes in the current Formula 1 season.
Verstappen offered a possible explanation for the difference between the official numbers and what Red Bull observes on track: “The thing is you have the engine measurement, the ICE, and not the battery, right? So those are two different things,” he said.
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The four-time world champion continued, saying that Mercedes manages to deliver a similar amount of power, and that Red Bull may be compensating for a possible advantage in the combustion engine with inferior battery performance: “If you measure only one thing, maybe we are very good on the ICE side, and maybe not as strong on the battery side compared to Mercedes. It’s very hard to know,” he added.
Instead of using the FIA assessment as an argument in favor of Red Bull, Verstappen highlighted that the team still needs to evolve: “We just have to do a better job, but development involves car, engine, and battery, in a continuous process that takes time,” concluded the Dutch driver.
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