The FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has admitted that the controversial ADUO system has "weaknesses".

While Pitpass editor has not seen the F1 Movie, rest assured that he is counting the days until later this month (the 28th), when Coyote vs ACME hits the screen.

The movie, of which the making of would make a decent plot in itself, sees Wil E Coyote take legal action against ACME, the company that provided all those devices with which he was meant to catch the Road Runner, but without any success.

And at a time there is talk of a second F1 movie, perhaps the plot could revolve around drivers and fans taking legal action against the FIA and F1 for a rules overhaul that appears to have ACME written all over it.

Tombazis has now admitted that the controversial ADUO system, introduced in a bid to (sigh) level the playing field and prevent a repeat of 2014 when one manufacturer had a clear advantage and was able to build on it for several seasons.

Fair enough, you might say as you recall Mercedes total domination of the sport between 2014 and 2020, when cars powered by the German manufacturer won 103 (74%) of the 138 races, before handing the baton to Honda which won 49 (74%) of the next 66 events.

However, rather than base the system on overall performance, it was based on the performance of only one half of the power unit, the internal combustion engine, with the all-important electrics left out of the equation.

Consequently, while performance based on the overall power unit would have surely seen Mercedes ranked as the most efficient, it was the Red Bull power unit - which has yet to win a race, compared to the 9 victories of the Three Pointed Star - which was adjudged the benchmark. Consequently, the German manufacturer, and Ferrari, which has won the other two races this year, was given the green light for an upgrade and an allowance - in terms of the budget cap - in order to do so.

"In F1 it seems that almost everything is quite sensitive," Tombazis tells Motorsport.com. "So it's very rare that you get eleven teams and five or six PU manufacturers saying, 'Fantastic, we all agree'.

"The only thing I think that everybody agrees on is that the August shutdown is a good thing," he adds, "and I have to remind you that it was my idea. That's the only thing that everybody agrees on.

"Everything else is difficult, and even that took time for everybody to agree on. You know, when Franz Tost was still in place, he didn't want it," he reveals, referring to the former Alpha Tauri boss.

"Everything is quite sensitive because everyone is so competitive and so focused on their relative position compared to the others," he explains, in terms of ADUO. "So yes, it has been quite a challenge.

"I think our measurement, in my opinion, has proven to be very accurate," he insists. "That said, has everything worked fine? No, because obviously people are not happy and so on.

"Do we need to think about improvements in the future? Yes, I would say so."

With Red Bull seemingly on the verge of taking a step forward, it has been suggested that some rivals could temporally 'hold back' on development, thereby leaving the Austrian manufacturer as the benchmark and thereby unable take the opportunity to upgrade its engine.

"Well, I don't think it would be convenient for you to always be below just to keep getting more opportunities," says the Greek, "because then what's the point of opportunities if it isn't ultimately for you to be on top?

"I think the system is working as it was designed," he insists, "but I do think there are some weaknesses that we need to address in the future. Also to make it less time-consuming and less controversial, we do need to make some steps to improve it in the future."

Beep-beep!

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Chester, 5 hours ago

"So much to unpack in this brilliant piece, Editor.

First, I highly recommend the F1 movie as entertainment (entertainment with an E). Brad Pitt carries the film. Its art, nothing more.

Secondly, Wil E Coyote is just great fun. I loved and cheered his dastardly determined efforts, and foolishly got suckered every time that this time his cunning ACME plan would work.

Thirdly, so glad Tombazi acknowledges the Mercedes domination via power unit design and other team's inability to do much about it. (I characterize Red Bull dominance more to Aero than engine though. And Aero was not frozen in any way. Teams could change it. )

But finally, Tombazi admitting the flaw in ADUO is the first step to the FIA's alcoholic recovery: "My name is FIA, and I am a regulation alcoholic.""

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2. Posted by JamesD, 5 hours ago

"As they chant at many a football ground, Tombazis & the FIA, "you don't know what you're doing !!""

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3. Posted by KKK, 8 hours ago

"Then who ever "designed" the new system is a total belled. The merc engine was the best, so why penalize it? It's the rest to catch up not the winner to be kerbed. It's called progress."

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ADUO has "weaknesses" admits Tombazis

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