Red Bull warns of 'risk' after FIA ruling

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has stated that his squad has been placed in a position of “risk” following the recent ADUO ruling.

A new system was introduced by the FIA this year to prevent any single manufacturer from holding a prolonged advantage over the competition following the introduction of new regulations.

After analysing data from the opening rounds of the season, the FIA determined that Red Bull had the strongest engine performance in the field.

The ruling caught Red Bull by surprise, and the FIA has since conducted a review of its findings, with reports suggesting no changes have been made to the decision.

With ADUO focusing solely on the combustion engine element of the power unit, concerns have been raised that other manufacturers could continue developing the remaining components while Red Bull is unable to upgrade its engine moving forward.

When that possibility was put to Mekies, he told media including RacingNews365: “You’re right. 

“There is a large risk there for Red Bull, so you are completely right in exposing that risk. 

“It is one of the reasons why it is vital for Red Bull, and more generally for the sport, that we get that picture right. 

“And again, we are thankful to the FIA for the fact that they are taking the time to release their conclusion.

“And yes, you always would like to reach an earlier conclusion, but it’s more important that we reach the right one, even if it takes a bit more time.”

Following the ADUO decision, Red Bull is now unable to upgrade its engine this year, which Mekies stated will have major implications on the project.

“We have been having very constructive discussions with the FIA ever since,” he said.

“They are doing a review, we are exchanging as many data as possible to make sure they get the right picture and the full picture, because, as you said, not only do we feel differently about this outcome, but also it has large implications for this year and for next year. 

“So, it’s important, first and foremost for the sport, that we get that right, and obviously for Red Bull Racing, the impact of being on one side of the fence or on the other side of the fence will be large.”