The ADUO system—the development assistance mechanism designed to help power unit manufacturers close the performance gap—continues to generate heated debate throughout the Formula 1 paddock.
Although tensions have eased somewhat after Red Bull requested a review of the FIA’s data, serious questions remain over the criteria used to classify the performance of the internal combustion engines.
The FIA’s official figures surprised many observers by identifying Red Bull’s V6 as the most powerful engine on the grid while assigning Mercedes a deficit of more than 2%, a margin that would entitle the Stuttgart manufacturer to additional development resources and the opportunity to homologate an updated power unit.
For years, the Mercedes engine has been widely regarded as one of the strongest—if not the strongest—power units in Formula 1, leading many to expect the Silver Arrows to top the rankings. Instead, the FIA’s measurements, based solely on the internal combustion engine as agreed with the manufacturers, produced a very different outcome.
Red Bull challenged those findings using its own internal analysis, which indicated that Mercedes actually held the advantage. The real issue, however, is not simply identifying which engine is the strongest, but determining which manufacturers are entitled to receive the development concessions provided under the ADUO system.
Mattia Binotto’s comments
Audi Team Principal Mattia Binotto shared his thoughts during an exclusive interview with Motorsport. While he made it clear that he does not question the FIA’s work—acknowledging that the governing body has access to all the necessary tools and data while accepting the inevitable limitations of any measurement system—he believes it is important to remember the original purpose of the ADUO regulations.
“I’m not questioning the FIA’s work or the results. They have all the tools and all the data necessary to make their assessments, even if every measurement system inevitably has its limitations. However, I think it’s important to remember what the original objective of the ADUO system was. At the beginning, when it was first discussed, the concept was essentially that of a safety net,” Binotto explained.
He stressed that the principle behind the regulations was to encourage performance convergence, much like the existing aerodynamic testing restrictions applied to chassis development.
“That’s where the idea of performance convergence came from: allowing those who are further behind to have a greater opportunity to catch up. Ultimately, it’s the same principle that already exists for chassis and aerodynamics. Teams lower down the standings receive more wind tunnel time, and in the same way, manufacturers that are behind in terms of power unit performance receive greater development opportunities to close the gap and make the championship more competitive.”
ADUO: the limits of the current measurement method
According to Binotto, the main weakness of the ADUO system is that its values are based exclusively on data collected on track.
Even before the season began, he had warned that manufacturers might strategically manage the output of their power units, and he believes that may now have happened.
As FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis explained, the governing body analysed data from each manufacturer’s best-performing car while filtering it according to specific contexts—for example, measuring engine output at the beginning of a straight rather than at the end to minimise the influence of aerodynamic factors.
However, Binotto believes this approach carries a significant risk.
“In my opinion, the limitation lies in measuring only the performance demonstrated on track. A car that already enjoys an overall performance advantage can afford not to use the full potential of its power unit.
“For example, it’s possible that Mercedes had an engine capable of delivering more performance but simply had no need to run it at its absolute limit because the car already had an overall advantage. If that were the case, it could also have secured additional development concessions.”
A call to rethink the system
Binotto concluded by arguing that the regulations should be revised so they better reflect the original philosophy behind the ADUO framework.
“That’s why I believe the regulations need to be reconsidered in this respect. The original intention of the ADUO system was not this. The goal was to help those who were genuinely behind, not to create situations where the true potential of a power unit becomes difficult to evaluate.”
In the past, the FIA proposed including additional parameters—such as turbocharger dimensions—to create a more comprehensive evaluation model. However, the manufacturers rejected that idea, opting to retain the current approach based solely on on-track data.
Audi was the first manufacturer to take advantage of the ADUO concessions, introducing an updated power unit as early as the Spanish Grand Prix. Binotto’s comments now invite the entire Formula 1 paddock to reflect on how the system can be made fairer and brought back into line with its original purpose: acting as a genuine safety net to promote closer competition throughout the championship.
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