Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has urged the FIA to overhaul the ADUO power unit upgrade system after Mercedes — widely considered the strongest 2026 engine — secured additional development tokens while Red Bull Ford Powertrains was frozen out as the performance benchmark. The system measures only V6 output on track, allowing manufacturers with superior chassis to mask true engine potential and game the allocation.

Binotto told Autosport the current metric fails its original purpose: a safety net for new entrants like Audi to avoid a five-year deficit under frozen regulations. Instead, Honda now needs the catch-up mechanism most, while Mercedes and Ferrari are suspected of sandbagging V6 performance — whether for reliability or strategic advantage — to unlock broader hybrid upgrades. The ADUO grants tokens for every 2% V6 deficit but permits wholesale power unit overhauls once qualified.

The FIA acknowledges the limitation but says manufacturers themselves insisted on V6-only measurement. Red Bull's challenge was rejected after further review. Binotto isn't disputing the FIA's data but argues the regulation has drifted from its convergence principle — mirroring aero's sliding-scale wind tunnel hours — and now risks entrenching advantages rather than closing gaps.