Red Bull Racing challenges FIA engine ruling while gearing up for Austria upgrade

Red Bull Racing has asked the FIA for an urgent clarification of the governing body’s decision that it will not receive any additional development opportunities (ADUO) for its power unit, arguing that the regulator has not shown data indicating a performance advantage over Mercedes. Team principal Laurent Mekies said, “We do not see a single data point that shows we are above the competition,” and urged a reassessment of the ICE‑power hierarchy. The controversy has been amplified by accusations from former team boss Günther Steiner that Mercedes may be deliberately reducing its power output to qualify for extra upgrades, while Red Bull has also introduced stricter internal staff‑movement rules after McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s letter to the FIA questioning the dual‑team ownership model.

Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull confirmed that its next major upgrade package will arrive at the Red Bull Ring but warned it will not be enough on its own to close the performance gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. Mekies explained that the upgrade targets weight reduction and modest lap‑time gains, estimating a remaining deficit of about four‑tenths of a second per lap. The team expects further developments throughout the season to continue narrowing the gap.