Here is the thing about Formula 1's brand-new Additional Development and Upgrades Opportunities system: it managed to catch everyone completely off guard. As Motorsport.com reports, the mechanism designed for 2026 evaluates V6 power unit performance at the end of each quarter to hand upgrade tokens to manufacturers lagging behind. Naturally, the paddock assumed Mercedes would be pegged as the benchmark given their dominant start to the new regulations. Instead, the system pointed directly at Red Bull Ford, leaving the team genuinely bewildered.
That odd outcome happens because the methodology only looks at the internal combustion engine, completely ignoring other critical performance differentiators where Mercedes excels across the board. Team boss Laurent Mekies admitted they were more than just surprised by the initial evaluations and had to make their case to the FIA. Even with discussions underway to tweak the system for 2027—with FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis confirming there are weaknesses—Red Bull would rather just have a strong engine and zero upgrade tokens than a weak one claiming them. Under the latest results, Mercedes received one token for being 2-4% down on power, while Ferrari, Audi, and Honda each grabbed two for being over 4% behind, leaving Red Bull with nothing.
Yet that does not mean development has frozen for the Milton Keynes machine, especially during their very first year operating as a power unit manufacturer. While hardware changes are restricted, Mekies pointed out that an enormous amount of work happens in the background on operating windows and packaging. That relentless in-season development has slowly turned their campaign around. The RB22 received a major upgrade package for September's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen secured a runner-up finish within a single second of George Russell. That performance marked Verstappen's fifth podium in six grands prix, which was quickly followed just a week later in Malaysia by his first victory of 2026 after a tough start that yielded just one podium in the opening five rounds.
Mekies noted that erasing a deficit of more than one second and fighting back to the front is a true trademark of how this squad operates. At one point, the team worried they might get permanently stuck three-tenths behind the fastest cars. Thanks to a global effort combining both the chassis and power unit sides to eat up those final gaps, those fears were put to rest. And thankfully, they are keeping their heads down to concentrate purely on racing while the discussions about next year's rules carry on in the background.
