Red Bull boss Laurent Mequise has denied speculation that his team has the best performing power unit in Formula 1, saying he hopes he will be given the opportunity to improve it during the upcoming engine upgrade period.
The new power unit regulations for the 2026 season included a performance balancing measure called “Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO)”, which allows manufacturers that are more than two percentage points behind the leading manufacturers to develop models.
The first upgrade period was originally scheduled to take place after this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, but could be postponed after two of the first six races (in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) were canceled due to the Middle East conflict.
Despite Mercedes dominating the first three races of the season and topping the standings with a 119-point lead over sixth-placed Red Bull, there has been speculation in the media that the latter may actually have the most powerful internal combustion engine (ICE), the power unit element being measured to determine who will benefit from ADUO.
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“Is[Red Bull’s engine]at the highest level? Absolutely not,” Mekies told Sky Sports News.
“So we’re hopeful that we can be in that group of people that will be given a chance to catch up? Yes, we certainly hope to be in that category.”
Mekies agreed with Mercedes chief executive Toto Wolff’s recent remarks that ADUO should allow manufacturers to “catch up” with rivals rather than “leapfrog” them, but seemed adamant that the Silver Arrows have the best ICE.
“I think Toto is right,” Mekies added. “This tool is here to catch up, not pass someone. So I’m completely with him on this point.”
The regulations set out three periods for ADUO during the season, with development opportunities provided during those periods where it is determined that the manufacturer is at least 2 percent behind the manufacturer with the best internal combustion engine.
Mr Wolff suggested Honda, which supplies Aston Martin’s engines, was the only manufacturer in need of regulatory support. The Austrian claimed that Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are in the same “ballpark” as Mercedes.
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In separate interviews with the media, Mekies estimated Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull to be “three-tenths” of a second per lap, much of which he believes is due to the ICE.
“What we are seeing is definitely Mercedes, which is way ahead of most of us. And yes, as you say, one person (Honda) is particularly behind.”
“The other teams, Ferrari and Audi, are probably very close to us, but in fairness Honda is probably struggling a little bit more.
“It’s very difficult to get the right combustion engine performance across the team in a fair way. I think the overall results probably give you the fairest and best picture of how everyone is doing.”
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Red Bull’s poor start to the season has raised questions about whether four-time world champion Max Verstappen will remain with the team until the end of the year.
The Dutch athlete, unhappy with the 2026 regulations, has said in Japan that he is considering withdrawing from the sport at the end of the year.
However, Mekies is optimistic that Red Bull’s upcoming upgrades will provide Verstappen with a platform to further develop the car and lift the Dutchman’s spirits.
“The Max we see is a fully committed Max. He wants a fast car and he’s helping the team get a fast car. He’s putting his all into that,” Mekies said.
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“He has a passion for this sport. Like you said, he spoke up when he felt something had to be done. He took a step forward in regulation for Miami. He accepts it. Is that enough? We have time to see together if it’s enough.
“We know that the priority is to give him a car that he can push, and this has nothing to do with the regulations so much. We knew that in the first three races we gave him and Isak (Hajjar) a very difficult car, and we need to give him a car that he can push consistently.”
“Then it doesn’t mean it will be fast enough to get a position, but it does mean he can start to develop a ‘max effect’ and we can start developing that car.”
“And while the situation in Miami may not be resolved, I’m confident that the team will thoroughly uncover what’s limiting us, just as it was last year, and we’ll see more and more smiles on Max’s face.”
F1 will resume with the second sprint weekend of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1-3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
