FIA postpones ADUO decision amidst Red Bull's anger.

      The FIA has postponed the finalization of the controversial ADUO engine rankings in Formula 1 following strong objections from Red Bull-Ford. The governing body had previously informed manufacturers in Monaco that Red Bull possesses the most powerful combustion engine in Formula 1, establishing it as the standard under the new concession system, which makes it ineligible for performance enhancements. Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, and Audi are all eligible for varying levels of development support.

      This ruling immediately caused controversy, as Mercedes-powered vehicles have claimed victory in all races thus far in 2026. According to L’Equipe, the FIA has decided to reassess the figures. The publication reported that an FIA spokesperson confirmed the governing body would refine its calculations "to ensure the outcome is accurate." The federation is expected to re-evaluate data from the first five races and verify readings from the power sensors installed in each car.

      Max Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull was taken aback by the initial results. "We were all a bit surprised by that news," he stated in Barcelona. "That’s why we’re still in talks with the FIA. We want to understand how they reached this conclusion." The Dutch driver confirmed that the review is currently in progress. “Is our engine the most powerful combustion engine of all? We’re puzzled," Verstappen remarked. "They’re reviewing it again, which is a positive step, as we don’t believe we have the most powerful combustion engine.”

      Teammate Isack Hadjar expressed similar doubt. "I checked to see if we had won the first six races of the season, but we haven’t," he joked. "We’ll await the final conclusions, so I won’t comment further for now." While Red Bull disputes the findings, Honda seems more at ease with its own ADUO evaluation. Shintaro Watanabe stated in Barcelona: "Our expectations align closely with the FIA’s assessment." He added, "I think Red Bull Powertrains has done an excellent job, and I respect their accomplishments. The figure we received from the FIA was quite reasonable for us."

      The debate has also highlighted the political intricacies surrounding the ADUO system, which only measures combustion engine performance and disregards electric performance. James Vowles, the head of Mercedes-powered Williams, expressed that he was not surprised by Red Bull leading the combustion rankings. "In Bahrain, I publicly stated my belief that Red Bull seemed to have the most powerful engine," he explained. "There are two components to consider: the combustion side and the electric side - the ADUO only focuses on combustion. Mercedes has excelled on the electric front, as we have more deployment than the others."

      Alex Albon noted that the situation has become challenging to interpret. "It’s amusing, but I don’t think any team or engine manufacturer genuinely wants to be deemed the best," said the Williams driver. "This results in some rather peculiar political maneuvers and conflicting statements."

      Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton confirmed that even if Ferrari receives concession upgrades, any potential improvements will take time to materialize. "We can’t implement an upgrade next week," the seven-time world champion told Sky Italia. "It requires months of development to adjust the engine components and ensure they remain reliable." Nevertheless, Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Ferrari is already planning to introduce two upgrade phases, starting in Austria and continuing at Monza, with the aim of recovering around 30 horsepower.