Audi boss, Mattia Binotto believes that the criteria by which the ADUO system is measured is unfair.

Though Audi has been cited as one of the power units - in terms of its Internal Combustion Engine - losing out to Red Bull, and therefore qualifies for the relevant upgrades and budget allowance, the Italian believes that the system, which is intended to level the playing field, is unfair.

Indeed, pointing to Mercedes, which has won all but two of the races so far this season, yet still benefits from the system, as does Ferrari, which has won the two remaining races, Binotto, suggests that the German manufacturer has 'played' the system. Like many, he cannot believe that Red Bull, struggling to maintain a place in the top four, is considered to be the benchmark.

"In my opinion, the limit has been that it has exclusively measured performance on the track," the Italian tells Motorsport.com. "A car with an overall advantage can afford not to fully exploit the potential of its power unit.

"It's possible, for example, that Mercedes had an engine with superior potential, but had no need to push it to the limit because it already had an advantage thanks to the car. If that were the case, it could have also gained additional development margin.

"That's why I think the regulation needs to be rethought in this regard. This wasn't the original intent of the ADUO," he insists, "the goal was to help those who were actually falling behind, not to create situations in which the true potential of a power unit might be difficult to assess."

While acknowledging the need for such a system, as can be seen in the case of Honda, Binotto questions whether, as it stands, it will ultimately have the impact it was intended to have.

"On the results, I'm not questioning the work done by the FIA," he says. "They have all the tools and data necessary to make their assessments, despite the limitations that any measurement system inevitably entails.

"However, I believe it's important to remember the original objective of the ADUO," he adds. "When it was first discussed, the concept was that of a sort of safety net. If a manufacturer was far behind at the start of the regulatory cycle, with regulations virtually frozen and very little room for development, it would risk dragging that disadvantage for five years.

"This gave rise to the concept of performance convergence, allowing those who were further behind to have a greater chance of catching up. Ultimately, it's the same principle that already exists for chassis and aerodynamics.

"Those further back in the standings have more hours in the wind tunnel. Likewise, those who are further behind in terms of power unit performance receive greater development opportunities to catch up with the others and make the championship increasingly balanced."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Chester, 4 hours ago

"Spot on, Superbird70. Changing the regs in 2026 coincided with the profit killing foray into electric in the auto industry. Some fall out seems likely."

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2. Posted by Superbird70, 6 hours ago

"It really doesn't matter. When the current engine regulations are changed in four years time all the manufacturers save Ferrari will be gone. Volkswagen and Mercedes are laying off tens of thousands, and Honda can't seem to design an engine to save Aston Martin. Cadillac might stay if the spec is a 7L V8."

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Binotto calls for ADUO to be "rethought"

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