Mekies supports ADUO's role in 'recovery' as the FIA prepares for the launch.

      "Power is calculated based on a lap-weighted system."

      Laurent Mekies has endorsed the idea behind Formula 1's ADUO engine regulations, while also emphasizing that Red Bull anticipates gaining advantages from them. In response to the ongoing discussion concerning the extent of the system, particularly Toto Wolff’s claim that Honda should be the primary beneficiary, the Red Bull team principal maintained a balanced perspective.

      "I think Toto is correct. The ADUO is designed for recovery, not for surpassing everyone. In that aspect, I fully agree with him," Mekies stated.

      Regarding Red Bull's new power unit, supported by Ford, the Frenchman remarked: "Everyone has made an exceptional effort to elevate the engine to its present standard. However, is it on par with the absolute best? Certainly not."

      "Do we expect to be among those capable of closing the gap? Yes, we definitely aspire to be in that group. But should that enable us to immediately surpass the competitors? No, not at all."

      Behind the scenes, the FIA is still finalizing the implementation and timing of the system. FIA technical chief Nikolas Tombazis clarified how performance discrepancies will be assessed.

      "Power is calculated on a lap-weighted basis—where performance is most critical, usually at the start of a straight, it has more weight compared to areas where it is less vital," he explained.

      "For every race, we take the leading car from each engine manufacturer, gather data over several laps, and compute the average."

      Regarding timing, Tombazis mentioned that the ADUO won't be implemented right away.

      "We’re still in the evaluation phase. We have at least a month until the first set of ADUO results, so certainly, we will have Miami and Canada first."

      This suggests that the system’s introduction is likely not to occur before Monaco in June.