Laurent Mekies pushes the FIA to support Red Bull’s fight against Mercedes
Photo by Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty Images Once the Canadian Grand Prix wraps up, the FIA will deliver its first ruling on which teams qualify for their new Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) programme. The ADUO is intended to support engine suppliers who have fallen behind the competition, and as things stand, Honda is the only manufacturer set to receive assistance from the FIA. Through four races this season, Mercedes has looked strong, powered by a new engine built specifically for the revised regulations.
Their unit is widely viewed as the best in Formula 1 right now. Red Bull haven’t reached the podium yet this year but there are suggestions their power unit ranks second overall. In fact, some inside Mercedes believe Red Bull’s engine matches or even surpasses theirs.
Navigating through F1’s politics isn’t always straightforward. Teams often play games trying to sway opinion and rules in their favour. Despite that, Mekies remains firm in his belief that Red Bull deserves additional support based on current performance.
Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies expects ADUO support from the FIA Speaking to Sky Sport Italia before the Canadian Grand Prix, Mekies was asked if he thinks Red Bull will receive any assistance from the FIA for their 2026 power unit. “First of all, I want to say that we have complete confidence in the Federation; otherwise, Red Bull Racing wouldn’t be here competing,” Mekies said. “What we’re seeing is that Mercedes is well ahead of most of us, by two or three tenths of a second per lap.
“The other teams are probably quite close to us, Ferrari and Audi, with Honda struggling a bit more. So yes, like others, we expect to benefit from the ADUO. “The work done over the last four years has been extraordinary, but we can’t hide the gap that exists between us and the best on the power unit side.