F1’s 2026 engine rules are designed to narrow the gap between manufacturers, but they also create a messy new question: could anyone try to blur real engine performance to game the ADUO? Laurent Mekies says the risk exists, even if he does not expect it to become the norm. In a sport where tenths matter, the system meant to level the field could quickly turn political.
This is not just paddock chatter. Under the 2026 regulations, teams are talking about more than horsepower and hybrid systems. They are also focused on how the FIA will measure, compare, and correct gaps between power units, and that is where ADUO comes in.
By the time the weekend gets underway, one phrase is already circulating behind the scenes: the new F1 2026 rules. The concern is straightforward. If a manufacturer has a reason to hide its true level, how can the FIA make sure the system does not get manipulated?
ADUO is meant to keep one engine from running away with the season
ADUO stands for Additional Design and Upgrade Opportunities. The idea is simple on paper: give extra development chances to manufacturers who are lagging behind so the field can converge faster.
In practice, the FIA will measure the internal-combustion side at regular intervals. If a manufacturer is 2% to 4% behind the reference engine, it gets one extra development opportunity. If the gap is more than 4%, it can receive two.
The goal is obvious: stop a new technical order from hardening into a permanent one. With new players such as Red Bull Ford and Audi entering the picture, the stakes are even higher. The rulebook is not just trying to launch a new engine formula. It is trying to prevent one strong power unit from locking up the championship too early.
Why some teams might want to mask their real level
Any compensation system creates a gray area. Just as in WEC with Balance of Performance, some teams may wonder whether it is smarter not to show everything, or to soften performance for a period in order to shape what comes next.
The logic is easy to follow. If a manufacturer looks too strong, it risks losing an advantage. If it looks too weak, it may gain more development latitude. In a sport where information is a weapon, trying to influence how your performance is read is hardly far-fetched.
But the technical reality is far less tidy than a simple bluff. Measuring the output of an internal-combustion engine fairly, especially when different architectures are involved, is not a clean laboratory exercise. That is exactly why the system could become contentious if the real pecking order and the official measurements do not quite line up.
Mekies says the temptation is real, but not universal
Asked about that possibility, Laurent Mekies did not dismiss it out of hand. He admitted that a manufacturer with a clear edge could be tempted to test the limits of the system.
“I don’t think so,” he told The Race. “I mean, OK, Mercedes currently has such a big advantage that they could be tempted, which is understandable, but everyone else has no choice.”
In other words, Mekies is not saying everyone will try to hide power. He is saying F1’s technical hierarchy is already sharp enough that a leader might think about smoothing things over. For the rest of the field, the priority is simpler: survive the standings first, then worry about tactics.
Mercedes comes up, but the fairness question is bigger than one team
Mercedes is the team Mekies points to because, in his view, it has enough of a lead to make the temptation believable. That is the sensitive part of the debate: a front-running manufacturer could be suspected of not showing its full margin just to avoid triggering the correction mechanism too soon.
Still, this is bigger than one team. The real issue is whether the measurement itself is fair. Once the FIA is working off a snapshot of thermal performance, the details matter: the testing protocol, the comparison method, engine architecture, and the observation window. A small change in interpretation can alter who gets access to ADUO and who does not.
For 2026, that means the rulebook is testing more than the manufacturers. It is also testing whether the system stays readable, credible, and strong enough to resist loopholes.
Red Bull Ford’s outlook is better than expected
Mekies also offered a more encouraging note for his own side: the Red Bull Ford power unit has outperformed expectations. The deficit is still there, but it is smaller than the team feared at the start.
The Red Bull Racing boss says the gap is around three-tenths, with most of it coming from the thermal side. That is still a lot in Formula 1 terms, but it is far less alarming than what many expected from a first power unit built under the new partnership.
“It has clearly exceeded expectations,” he said. That matters. A badly born engine project can carry that weight for years. Mekies believes Red Bull Ford has avoided that fate, and he says the engine ghost has now gone away. It is a strong line, but the point is simple: the team has avoided the kind of launch problem that can distort an entire program.
Even with a better engine, Red Bull still has work to do
Red Bull is not celebrating. Mekies says the team still has its own weaknesses to fix, and it needs to find lap time where it really lives. The message is clear: the engine is no longer the scary part, but it does not get the rest of the car off the hook.
“We need to find those tenths,” he said, adding that the fixes will come, even if not in Miami. That is the core reality for 2026 and for the current season too. A solid engine base does not replace a sharp chassis, good tire management, or a balanced overall package.
The new generation of engines will not solve everything overnight. It will reshuffle the order, not magically erase it. And if ADUO was built to keep one manufacturer from pulling too far ahead, it could still become one of the most sensitive pressure points in the transition.
What ADUO means for F1’s next engine era
ADUO was designed to help manufacturers close a performance gap, but its success will depend entirely on whether the FIA’s measurements are trusted. The more the rules try to equalize the field, the more they have to see the true engine hierarchy clearly.
- ADUO is meant to speed up convergence among F1 manufacturers in 2026.
- The FIA will measure thermal power to award extra development opportunities.
- A 2% to 4% deficit can trigger one additional upgrade chance.
- A gap greater than 4% can trigger two upgrades.
- Laurent Mekies does not rule out a front-runner trying to blur its performance.
- Red Bull Ford’s engine has already beaten initial expectations.
For teams that are behind, ADUO could be a useful safety net. For teams at the front, it adds one more reason to think carefully about how much they show. The weak spot is obvious: if the FIA cannot measure the real picture cleanly, the whole idea gets harder to trust.
