Hamilton questions FIA ADUO verdict over Red Bull engine edge

Lewis Hamilton was surprised by the FIA’s ADUO verdict suggesting Red Bull has the strongest engine, insisting Mercedes is “as good as anyone” in F1.

After 12 years with Mercedes, Hamilton is all too familiar how strong the Brixworth-based engine supplier is, leading him to doubt the accuracy of the ADUO findings.

Lewis Hamilton suggests Mercedes PU ‘just as good’ as Red Bull

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While the FIA has not officially revealed the standings, PlanetF1.com understands Red Bull’s power unit has been deemed the strongest based on the internal combustion engine alone.

That result seems to come in contrast to what is seen out on track with Mercedes having won every race so far.

Asked for his thoughts on the assessment, Hamilton suggested Mercedes’ power unit was as good as anyone’s on the grid.

“I mean, that’s definitely a surprise,” he said in Barcelona. “Because Red Bull and Mercedes engines are very, very close.

“Red Bull have done an amazing job with their engine, but so has Mercedes.

“I heard that there were some people from Mercedes that went to Red Bull. Either way, they’ve done something that no one thought that they’ll do in such a short space of time for a new engine manufacturer, and fair play to them.

“I think Mercedes still has as good a bench, maybe as good an engine. It’s very, very close between them, so that’s not my decision at the end of the day.”

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As for his current employers, any gap in power unit performance should have been neutralised somewhat in Monaco but Hamilton still finished six seconds off winner Kimi Antonelli, even with a late red flag.

Asked how that was the case, the seven-time World Champion said it was due to “pure downforce.”

“I think it’s just pure downforce,” he said. “We saw in Miami, we brought an upgrade package, which the team worked really hard to bring. Mercedes didn’t bring an upgrade package, and they won easily.

“Then they brought a big upgrade package of four tenths, half second, whatever it was, to Montreal.

“Being that it was just a pretty slow speed circuit, I guess you didn’t maybe see necessarily too much of it, but then we get to Monaco, and I could see when he was ahead of me just how much earlier he could get to get to power, how much more rear end he had through the corners, and I couldn’t keep up with that, and that’s just downforce.”

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