Overview
- Provisional FIA testing after the Canadian Grand Prix ranked Red Bull‑Ford as the internal combustion engine (ICE) benchmark, a finding that would bar Red Bull from ADUO concessions while qualifying Mercedes for one upgrade and Ferrari, Audi and Honda for two.
- Red Bull has formally appealed and asked the FIA to re‑analyse in‑car torque‑sensor measurements and data from the opening five races, so the initial rankings are not yet final.
- The ADUO process uses only ICE output measured by standardized torque sensors and excludes hybrid electrical power, a methodological choice critics say can misstate total on‑track power and change who receives catch‑up rights.
- Teams that stand to gain homologations and extra dyno or testing hours are preparing development work because the upgrades would not count against competitors’ Formula 1 budget caps and are valued in the low millions.
- Any ADUO changes will take months to turn into race‑ready upgrades and two further FIA review windows are scheduled later this season, so the competitive and financial effects will unfold over several rounds.