Max Verstappen reveals Red Bull are in talks with FIA over controversial ruling

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen reveals Red Bull are in talks with FIA over controversial ruling

Max Verstappen is hoping to bounce back to form this weekend

By Jan Bolscher.

Friday 12 June 2026 12:57

Max Verstappen revealed in Barcelona that Red Bull is indeed in talks with the FIA, telling GPFans that they were a 'bit surprised' by a recent FIA ruling.

This season marks the first year under the new engine regulations, with battery performance playing a much larger role. As is often the case when new rules are introduced, the performance gap between the 11 teams is pronounced.

While Mercedes remains the team to beat, the likes of Cadillac and Aston Martin are struggling to keep pace, while Ferrari and Red Bull are plodding along, scrapping for podiums and top-five finishes.

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Therefore, ahead of the season, the FIA introduced an Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) programme.

What is ADUO in F1?

To prevent the performance disparities from becoming too wide amid the new power unit regulations, the ADUO initiative allows engine manufacturers that fall more than two percent behind the best-performing power unit to make adjustments to their engines.

They get extra time to bring upgrades to their power unit, done on a sliding scale depending on how far behind the best-performing power unit you are.

With Mercedes currently dominating on the grid, on paper, this new ruling appeared to be good news for Ferrari and Red Bull.

Red Bull power unit the best in F1 2026?

However, according to the FIA, it is not Mercedes but Red Bull that has developed the strongest engine.

The Silver Arrows trail the Red Bull power unit by over two percent, meaning that the current dominant team in the sport will get one engine update for the season.

Meanwhile, Ferrari, Audi, and Honda, which lag behind by more than four percent, are each permitted two updates to their respective power units.

The FIA has deliberately kept the engine performance metrics confidential to prevent teams from exploiting any loopholes. Williams driver Alexander Albon even remarked in Barcelona that it now feels like a game of politics, with nobody wanting to lead by having the best engine.

When asked about the situation during Barcelona’s media day, Verstappen commented about Red Bull's situation: "I think we were all surprised. That's why we're in discussions with the FIA to understand how they reached that conclusion. There's not much more to say at the moment."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen FIA Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Barcelona-Catalunya Grand prix