Damon Hill declares ADUO gamesmanship as Red Bull named best engine

1996 World Champion Damon Hill understands that some teams are “gaming the system” when it comes to the FIA’s ADUO initiative.

Hill’s statement comes after the Red Bull internal combustion engine was deemed the F1 2026 standard at the first checkpoint ahead of the Barcelona GP. Red Bull has no desire of engaging in gamesmanship with rivals under the system.

Damon Hill’s ADUO games theory after Red Bull finding

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The ADUO [Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities] concept was introduced for F1 2026 and is designed to reduce disparities between the sport’s engine manufacturers.

Using assessment intervals in each F1 season from 2026 to 2030, ADUO exists to pick up excelling and struggling manufacturers, offering additional ICE upgrade opportunities for those adjudged to have fallen behind.

The first interval adjudged F1 power unit newcomers Red Bull to have the top ICE.

Ahead of the announcement, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was asked about potential ADUO games being played by the manufacturers. Claims swirled that Mercedes was not running its engine at full power, and table-turning said rivals were doing the same to widen the gap.

Mercedes had taken every F1 2026 grand prix win on offer ahead of the Barcelona GP.

“So, now you’re asking us to enter into the game?” Mekies replied.

“No, seriously, the way we look at it, I can only give you what we think is a pecking order. Do whatever you like with it.”

Red Bull’s pecking order had Mercedes as the benchmark.

Addressing the ADUO situation via ‘The Undercut with Damon Hill and Mark Hughes’ podcast, Hill said: “It is quite interesting that we’re now getting people gaming the system, it seems.

“We believe that some teams may have more power than they’re showing, because they know they’re going to be penalised at a date with the ADUO development opportunity.

“So they’re going, ‘Well, I’m not going to show you what I’ve got until you’ve brought in the changes, and then after that, I’ll take the cape off and reveal my true identity.'”

Respected F1 analyst Mark Hughes added: “So I think you could have had a scenario in those first few races where the performances were being measured, where, for example, Mercedes suspects Ferrari is not showing its full hand, and so it doesn’t show its full hand, and so as they’re both sort of watching each other, that might be why the Red Bull has been measured as the best.”

Hughes suggested that it is “suspicious” therefore that Ferrari went and won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix through Lewis Hamilton, that the first race after the initial ADUO findings were announced.

Of course, Ferrari also introduced a significant upgrade package in Barcelona, which is a very viable theory behind the Scuderia’s marked improvement for that event.

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“That’s an interesting observation,” Hill responded to Hughes.

He continued: “So this is just another strategy. It’s another strategy game of the game of Formula 1.”

Hamilton had expressed surprise over the Red Bull ADUO verdict heading into Barcelona. Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto pointed to how the system is looking at “pure engine power”, rather than a full power unit.

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