Kimi Antonelli is facing a legal dispute with former manager Giovanni Minardi, who is demanding a multimillion compensation from the Mercedes driver for "unpaid rewards" following his debut in Formula 1. Negotiations between the parties have been ongoing for over a year, but now the case has gone to court. Giovanni Minardi, the son of the founder of the eponymous Formula 1 team Giancarlo Minardi, believes he should be compensated for his work during the early stages of Antonelli's career. Kimi Antonelli began collaborating with Minardi Management in 2014 when Minardi arranged tests for Kimi that were supposed to help him enter Ferrari's youth program. However, Maurizio Arrivabene, who was then managing the Ferrari team, rejected Antonelli, considering him too young. As a result, in 2018, Antonelli joined Mercedes' youth program and ended his collaboration with Minardi, with his interests being represented by Mercedes chief Toto Wolff. On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Minardi officially filed a civil lawsuit in the Bologna court, demanding payment of the debt and compensation for the early termination of the contract. The claims relate to the period before Antonelli's debut in Formula 1 in 2025. It is reported that the parties are still far from a settlement, and the amount of the claims is in the millions of euros. Mattia Grassani, Giovanni Minardi's lawyer, told the Adnkronos news agency the details of the story: "Giovanni Minardi has been struggling with what happened and turned to the court, as it was the only remaining option. So many years of work, sacrifices, and investments in the young driver deserved much greater recognition. Turning to the court became the only possible solution. This is a very complex case that has been under consideration for almost a year, and during this time there have been numerous hearings. The dispute involves Giovanni Minardi and Kimi Antonelli, as well as the driver's parents. It concerns a breach of the management services contract signed several years ago with the underage Kimi and his parents. When the driver moved to Mercedes, Antonelli's team decided that the conditions for continuing the collaboration were no longer being met. That is when the dispute arose. There were attempts to resolve the situation out of court; however, Giovanni Minardi found the proposed conditions unacceptable while expressing a willingness to continue negotiations. Unfortunately, a compromise could not be reached." As part of the proceedings, the court may call Toto Wolff as a witness, as well as the former head of Mercedes' youth program Gwen Lagrue, who recently took on a similar position at Red Bull.
Kimi Antonelli is facing a legal dispute with former manager Giovanni Minardi, who is demanding a multi-million compensation from the Mercedes driver for "unpaid rewards" following his debut in Formula 1. Negotiations between the parties have been ongoing for over a year, but now the matter has reached court. Giovanni Minardi, son of the founder of the eponymous Formula 1 team Giancarlo Minardi, believes he should be compensated for his work during the early stages of Antonelli's career. Kimi Antonelli began working with Minardi Management in 2014 when Minardi organized tests for Kimi that were supposed to help him enter Ferrari's youth program. However, Maurizio Arrivabene, who was then managing the Ferrari team, rejected Antonelli, considering him too young. As a result, in 2018, Antonelli joined Mercedes' youth program and ended his collaboration with Minardi, with his interests being represented by Mercedes chief Toto Wolff. On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Minardi officially filed a civil lawsuit in the Bologna court, demanding payment of the debt and compensation for the early termination of the contract. The claims relate to the period before Antonelli's debut in Formula 1 in 2025. It is reported that the parties are still far from a settlement, and the amount of claims is in the millions of euros. Mattia Grassani, Giovanni Minardi's lawyer, told the Adnkronos news agency the details of the story: "Giovanni Minardi has been struggling with what happened and turned to the court, as it was the only option left. So many years of work, sacrifices, and investments in the young driver deserved much more recognition. Turning to the court became the only possible solution. This is a very complex case that has been under consideration for almost a year, and during this time there have been numerous hearings. The dispute involves Giovanni Minardi and Kimi Antonelli, as well as the driver's parents. It concerns a breach of the terms of the management services contract signed several years ago with the minor Kimi and his parents. When the driver moved to Mercedes, Antonelli's team decided that the conditions for continuing cooperation were no longer being met. That is when the dispute arose. There were attempts to resolve the situation out of court; however, Giovanni Minardi found the proposed conditions unacceptable while expressing a willingness to continue negotiations. Unfortunately, a compromise could not be reached." As part of the proceedings, the court may call Toto Wolff as well as former head of Mercedes' youth program Gwen Lagrue, who recently took a similar position at Red Bull, as witnesses.
On Wednesday at the Hungarian track Hungaroring, the Aston Martin team is conducting a filming day, during which they are testing the new Honda power unit. The day before, Fernando Alonso, who is celebrating his 45th birthday today, mentioned that the team is doing everything possible to support Honda in their work on the power unit.
Fernando Alonso: "We are one team and we work together. We know our weaknesses and try to help each other.
At the beginning of the season, Honda was trying to compensate for some shortcomings of the car, and now we are doing our best to help Honda, including ensuring that energy delivery remains stable on every lap. Aston Martin is providing significant support to Honda in this area, especially the software department.
We still have a long way to go, we understand and realize that, but I hope we have already taken the first step. Both sides are gradually building trust in each other and confidence in their work. I think this will be crucial in the coming months."
Fernando Alonso: "We are one team and we work together. We know our weaknesses and try to help each other.
At the beginning of the season, Honda was trying to compensate for some shortcomings of the car, and now we are doing our best to help Honda, including ensuring that energy delivery remains stable on every lap. Aston Martin is providing significant support to Honda in this area, especially the software department.
We still have a long way to go, we understand and realize that, but I hope we have already taken the first step. Both sides are gradually building trust in each other and confidence in their work. I think this will be crucial in the coming months."
On Wednesday at the Hungarian track Hungaroring, the Aston Martin team is conducting a filming day, during which they are testing the new Honda power unit. The day before, Fernando Alonso, who is celebrating his 45th birthday today, mentioned that the team is doing everything possible to support Honda in its work on the power unit.
Fernando Alonso: "We are one team and we work together. We know our weaknesses and try to help each other.
At the beginning of the season, Honda was trying to compensate for some shortcomings of the car; now we are trying to help Honda as much as possible, including ensuring that energy delivery remains stable on every lap. Aston Martin is providing significant support to Honda in this regard, especially the software department.
We still have a long way to go; we understand and acknowledge that, but I hope we have already taken the first step. Both sides are gradually building trust in each other and confidence in their work. I think this will be crucial in the coming months."
Fernando Alonso: "We are one team and we work together. We know our weaknesses and try to help each other.
At the beginning of the season, Honda was trying to compensate for some shortcomings of the car; now we are trying to help Honda as much as possible, including ensuring that energy delivery remains stable on every lap. Aston Martin is providing significant support to Honda in this regard, especially the software department.
We still have a long way to go; we understand and acknowledge that, but I hope we have already taken the first step. Both sides are gradually building trust in each other and confidence in their work. I think this will be crucial in the coming months."
We cited the words of the president and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, regarding the fact that the championship management has several calendar options for the 2027 season in case the global situation does not allow for races to be held in the Middle East. Today, a draft calendar for the next season, which is considered the basic option, appeared in the press.
If everything goes according to plan, the season will include 24 Grands Prix, starting with the race on March 14 in Bahrain. Then, a week later, there should be a race in Jeddah, after which Formula 1 will head to Australia, Japan, China, Miami, and Canada.
The European part of the season will begin on the first weekend of June in Monaco. Then, a race is scheduled in Portugal at the Portimão circuit. Following that, races will take place in Silverstone, Spielberg, Belgium, and Hungary, after which Formula 1 will take an August break.
The season will resume on September 3-5 at the Italian Grand Prix, and a week later, the race in Madrid will conclude the European part of the season. Then, Formula 1 will head to Baku, where a series of races Azerbaijan-Turkey-Singapore will begin. After that, as in this season, races are planned in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Las Vegas. The season is expected to conclude in December with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Preliminary version of the Formula 1 calendar for the 2027 season
Date
Grand Prix
Venue
14/03
Bahrain
Sakhir
21/03
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
04/04
Australia
Melbourne
11/04
Japan
Suzuka
18/04
China
Shanghai
02/05
Miami
Miami
23/05
Canada
Montréal
06/06
Monaco
Monaco
20/06
Portugal
Portimão
04/07
United Kingdom
Silverstone
11/07
Austria
Spielberg
25/07
Belgium
Spa
01/08
Hungary
Hungaroring
05/09
Italy
Monza
12/09
Spain
Madrid
26/09
Azerbaijan
Baku
03/10
Turkey
Istanbul
10/10
Singapore
Singapore
24/10
USA
Austin
31/10
Mexico
Mexico City
14/11
São Paulo
Interlagos
21/11
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
05/12
Qatar
Lusail
12/12
Abu Dhabi
Yas Marina
If everything goes according to plan, the season will include 24 Grands Prix, starting with the race on March 14 in Bahrain. Then, a week later, there should be a race in Jeddah, after which Formula 1 will head to Australia, Japan, China, Miami, and Canada.
The European part of the season will begin on the first weekend of June in Monaco. Then, a race is scheduled in Portugal at the Portimão circuit. Following that, races will take place in Silverstone, Spielberg, Belgium, and Hungary, after which Formula 1 will take an August break.
The season will resume on September 3-5 at the Italian Grand Prix, and a week later, the race in Madrid will conclude the European part of the season. Then, Formula 1 will head to Baku, where a series of races Azerbaijan-Turkey-Singapore will begin. After that, as in this season, races are planned in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Las Vegas. The season is expected to conclude in December with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Preliminary version of the Formula 1 calendar for the 2027 season
Date
Grand Prix
Venue
14/03
Bahrain
Sakhir
21/03
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
04/04
Australia
Melbourne
11/04
Japan
Suzuka
18/04
China
Shanghai
02/05
Miami
Miami
23/05
Canada
Montréal
06/06
Monaco
Monaco
20/06
Portugal
Portimão
04/07
United Kingdom
Silverstone
11/07
Austria
Spielberg
25/07
Belgium
Spa
01/08
Hungary
Hungaroring
05/09
Italy
Monza
12/09
Spain
Madrid
26/09
Azerbaijan
Baku
03/10
Turkey
Istanbul
10/10
Singapore
Singapore
24/10
USA
Austin
31/10
Mexico
Mexico City
14/11
São Paulo
Interlagos
21/11
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
05/12
Qatar
Lusail
12/12
Abu Dhabi
Yas Marina
We cited the words of the president and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, regarding the fact that the championship management has several calendar options for the 2027 season in case the global situation does not allow for stages to be held in the Middle East. Today, a draft calendar for the next season was released in the press, which is considered the basic option.
If everything goes according to plan, the season will include 24 Grands Prix, starting with the race on March 14 in Bahrain. Then, a week later, there should be a stage in Jeddah, after which Formula 1 will head to Australia, Japan, China, Miami, and Canada.
The European part of the season will begin on the first weekend of June in Monaco. Then, a stage is planned in Portugal at the Portimão circuit. Following that, races will take place in Silverstone, Spielberg, Belgium, and Hungary, after which Formula 1 will take a break in August.
The season will resume from September 3-5 at the Italian Grand Prix, and a week later, the race in Madrid will conclude the European part of the season. Then, Formula 1 will head to Baku, where a series of stages Azerbaijan-Turkey-Singapore will begin. After that, as in this season, races are planned in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Las Vegas. The season is expected to conclude in December with stages in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Preliminary version of the Formula 1 calendar for the 2027 season
Date
Grand Prix
Venue
14/03
Bahrain
Sakhir
21/03
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
04/04
Australia
Melbourne
11/04
Japan
Suzuka
18/04
China
Shanghai
02/05
Miami
Miami
23/05
Canada
Montréal
06/06
Monaco
Monaco
20/06
Portugal
Portimão
04/07
United Kingdom
Silverstone
11/07
Austria
Spielberg
25/07
Belgium
Spa
01/08
Hungary
Hungaroring
05/09
Italy
Monza
12/09
Spain
Madrid
26/09
Azerbaijan
Baku
03/10
Turkey
Istanbul
10/10
Singapore
Singapore
24/10
USA
Austin
31/10
Mexico
Mexico City
14/11
São Paulo
Interlagos
21/11
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
05/12
Qatar
Lusail
12/12
Abu Dhabi
Yas Marina
If everything goes according to plan, the season will include 24 Grands Prix, starting with the race on March 14 in Bahrain. Then, a week later, there should be a stage in Jeddah, after which Formula 1 will head to Australia, Japan, China, Miami, and Canada.
The European part of the season will begin on the first weekend of June in Monaco. Then, a stage is planned in Portugal at the Portimão circuit. Following that, races will take place in Silverstone, Spielberg, Belgium, and Hungary, after which Formula 1 will take a break in August.
The season will resume from September 3-5 at the Italian Grand Prix, and a week later, the race in Madrid will conclude the European part of the season. Then, Formula 1 will head to Baku, where a series of stages Azerbaijan-Turkey-Singapore will begin. After that, as in this season, races are planned in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Las Vegas. The season is expected to conclude in December with stages in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Preliminary version of the Formula 1 calendar for the 2027 season
Date
Grand Prix
Venue
14/03
Bahrain
Sakhir
21/03
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
04/04
Australia
Melbourne
11/04
Japan
Suzuka
18/04
China
Shanghai
02/05
Miami
Miami
23/05
Canada
Montréal
06/06
Monaco
Monaco
20/06
Portugal
Portimão
04/07
United Kingdom
Silverstone
11/07
Austria
Spielberg
25/07
Belgium
Spa
01/08
Hungary
Hungaroring
05/09
Italy
Monza
12/09
Spain
Madrid
26/09
Azerbaijan
Baku
03/10
Turkey
Istanbul
10/10
Singapore
Singapore
24/10
USA
Austin
31/10
Mexico
Mexico City
14/11
São Paulo
Interlagos
21/11
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
05/12
Qatar
Lusail
12/12
Abu Dhabi
Yas Marina
This year, Malaysia will return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017 – the Sepang circuit will host the sixteenth round of the season, officially called the "Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia," and is fully funded by the promoters of the Bahrain event.
The executive director of the racetrack, Azhan Shafrimaan Hanif, confirmed that this is a one-time return, and for Malaysia to host Formula 1 on a permanent basis, it needs to spend at least 73 million US dollars annually.
Azhan Shafrimaan Hanif: "In my estimates, at least 300 million ringgits (73 million US dollars) will be required each year. That’s how much it will cost. But we also need to consider the return from hosting the race.
According to the data I have seen, most host countries experience an economic impact that is at least three times greater than the investment. In other words, if we spend 300 million ringgits, the potential return for the country could reach 1 billion ringgits (244 million US dollars).
However, the government's current priority is not spending on international events, but helping the population amid economic difficulties and rising living costs. Perhaps in the future, when we have data from the results of the 2026 race, they will serve as a starting point for decision-making.
The second factor is the availability of free slots in the Formula 1 calendar. If there are none, then nothing will happen. Thus, there are two main conditions for a permanent return – funds to pay the promoter's fee and an available date in the calendar."
The executive director of the racetrack, Azhan Shafrimaan Hanif, confirmed that this is a one-time return, and for Malaysia to host Formula 1 on a permanent basis, it needs to spend at least 73 million US dollars annually.
Azhan Shafrimaan Hanif: "In my estimates, at least 300 million ringgits (73 million US dollars) will be required each year. That’s how much it will cost. But we also need to consider the return from hosting the race.
According to the data I have seen, most host countries experience an economic impact that is at least three times greater than the investment. In other words, if we spend 300 million ringgits, the potential return for the country could reach 1 billion ringgits (244 million US dollars).
However, the government's current priority is not spending on international events, but helping the population amid economic difficulties and rising living costs. Perhaps in the future, when we have data from the results of the 2026 race, they will serve as a starting point for decision-making.
The second factor is the availability of free slots in the Formula 1 calendar. If there are none, then nothing will happen. Thus, there are two main conditions for a permanent return – funds to pay the promoter's fee and an available date in the calendar."
In recent years, several leading specialists have left Red Bull Racing, including Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall, Jonny Whitely, and Christian Horner. By 2028, Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen's race engineer, will also leave the team. However, the four-time world champion himself urges not to dramatize the situation.
Max Verstappen: "Many have left the team over the past few years, but at the same time, new people are coming to us. Everyone just loves to focus on the negative. When someone leaves, it is immediately presented as something very dramatic.
But to be honest... Of course, sometimes you think, 'It's a pity that some have decided to leave,' but that's life. It happens in other sports too – people move to other teams, change jobs. It's part of the sports culture.
It's very difficult to keep a group together for a long time that achieves great success. There is always demand for such specialists; other teams also want to acquire talented people. The same happens in football – if a strong player emerges, another club will do everything to sign a contract with him. The same applies to managers. There's nothing unusual about that.
I feel that sometimes the situation around our team is overly dramatized, as if this only happens to us. But people are constantly coming and going; that's how sports work."
Max Verstappen: "Many have left the team over the past few years, but at the same time, new people are coming to us. Everyone just loves to focus on the negative. When someone leaves, it is immediately presented as something very dramatic.
But to be honest... Of course, sometimes you think, 'It's a pity that some have decided to leave,' but that's life. It happens in other sports too – people move to other teams, change jobs. It's part of the sports culture.
It's very difficult to keep a group together for a long time that achieves great success. There is always demand for such specialists; other teams also want to acquire talented people. The same happens in football – if a strong player emerges, another club will do everything to sign a contract with him. The same applies to managers. There's nothing unusual about that.
I feel that sometimes the situation around our team is overly dramatized, as if this only happens to us. But people are constantly coming and going; that's how sports work."
18th and 19th place for Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in qualifying in Hungary – the worst result for Williams since the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix – the last race involving Logan Sargeant.
Carlos Sainz (18th): "It was a tough weekend. The balance changed from session to session, and there were issues with the rear of the car, making it behave unpredictably. But even if we had optimized everything, it’s unlikely we could have achieved a better starting position."
Alex Albon (19th): "On Saturday, the car behaved completely differently than the day before, and we still can't determine the cause of such discrepancies between the sessions. In the last few Grands Prix, we understood which parts weren't working properly, but we still don't know why.
Aston Martin made a big step forward this weekend, while Carlos and I faced issues. We will analyze the situation before tomorrow's race and see what we can do."
Carlos Sainz (18th): "It was a tough weekend. The balance changed from session to session, and there were issues with the rear of the car, making it behave unpredictably. But even if we had optimized everything, it’s unlikely we could have achieved a better starting position."
Alex Albon (19th): "On Saturday, the car behaved completely differently than the day before, and we still can't determine the cause of such discrepancies between the sessions. In the last few Grands Prix, we understood which parts weren't working properly, but we still don't know why.
Aston Martin made a big step forward this weekend, while Carlos and I faced issues. We will analyze the situation before tomorrow's race and see what we can do."
Ten years ago, in 2016, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for the title led to an open feud between the Mercedes drivers, which resulted in several on-track collisions – the most memorable occurred on the first lap of the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he would not allow such a situation to happen again, but if something similar arises between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, one of the drivers will be dismissed from the team.
Toto Wolff: “I will not allow a repeat of that situation. That will never happen with me again, and it will never happen with the team again. It’s simple – if any of the drivers starts behaving like that, I will just remove him from the team.
George was leading in Montreal but then retired. That could have been another victory for him, which would surely have given him more confidence going into the following races. Credit to George – there was an engine issue with his car, and it took us a long time to identify it. It cost him about two-tenths of a second.
Moreover, George, of course, felt increased pressure, as he was considered the clear favorite at the start of the season.
Last year, Kimi went nine races without scoring points, but this year he is performing very well. And suddenly expectations change, and you find yourself in a less favorable position. If anyone can handle that kind of pressure, it’s George, as he is a very resilient guy.
The best drivers know how to turn the situation around. So I am absolutely confident that he can do it.”
Toto Wolff: “I will not allow a repeat of that situation. That will never happen with me again, and it will never happen with the team again. It’s simple – if any of the drivers starts behaving like that, I will just remove him from the team.
George was leading in Montreal but then retired. That could have been another victory for him, which would surely have given him more confidence going into the following races. Credit to George – there was an engine issue with his car, and it took us a long time to identify it. It cost him about two-tenths of a second.
Moreover, George, of course, felt increased pressure, as he was considered the clear favorite at the start of the season.
Last year, Kimi went nine races without scoring points, but this year he is performing very well. And suddenly expectations change, and you find yourself in a less favorable position. If anyone can handle that kind of pressure, it’s George, as he is a very resilient guy.
The best drivers know how to turn the situation around. So I am absolutely confident that he can do it.”
Ten years ago, in 2016, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for the title led to an open feud between the Mercedes drivers, which resulted in several on-track collisions – the most memorable occurred on the first lap of the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he would not allow such a situation to happen again, but if something similar arises between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, one of the drivers will be dismissed from the team.
Toto Wolff: "I will not allow a repeat of that situation. It will never happen with me again, and it will never happen with the team again. It's simple – if any of the drivers starts to behave like that, I will just remove him from the team.
George was leading in Montreal but then retired. It could have been another victory for him, which would surely have given him more confidence heading into the following races. Credit to George – there was an engine issue with his car, and it took us a long time to identify it. It cost him about two-tenths of a second.
Moreover, George, of course, faced increased pressure, as he was considered the clear favorite at the start of the season.
Last year, Kimi went nine races without scoring points, but this year he is performing very well. And suddenly expectations change, and you find yourself in a less favorable position. If anyone can handle such pressure, it's George, as he is a very resilient guy.
The best drivers know how to turn the situation around. So I am absolutely confident that he will be able to do it."
Toto Wolff: "I will not allow a repeat of that situation. It will never happen with me again, and it will never happen with the team again. It's simple – if any of the drivers starts to behave like that, I will just remove him from the team.
George was leading in Montreal but then retired. It could have been another victory for him, which would surely have given him more confidence heading into the following races. Credit to George – there was an engine issue with his car, and it took us a long time to identify it. It cost him about two-tenths of a second.
Moreover, George, of course, faced increased pressure, as he was considered the clear favorite at the start of the season.
Last year, Kimi went nine races without scoring points, but this year he is performing very well. And suddenly expectations change, and you find yourself in a less favorable position. If anyone can handle such pressure, it's George, as he is a very resilient guy.
The best drivers know how to turn the situation around. So I am absolutely confident that he will be able to do it."
The Red Bull-Ford power unit may once again be recognized as the best following the second evaluation of the season under the ADUO program. During the race weekend in Monaco, five power unit suppliers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford, Audi, and Honda – received a one-page document from the FIA with a preliminary assessment of the performance of internal combustion engines for their subsequent refinement under the ADUO program. Manufacturers whose engines fall short of the benchmark are granted the right to additional investments and upgrades to close the gap.
At the beginning of summer, the FIA noted that Red Bull-Ford had the best engine, which was an unpleasant surprise for the Milton Keynes team, who expected to gain the right to refine their engine, as they believed their power unit was inferior to at least Mercedes. The problem for Red Bull Racing is that the ADUO only considers the characteristics of the internal combustion engine, while the apparent weak point of the Red Bull-Ford power unit is the battery.
After the Hungarian Grand Prix, the FIA began the second analysis of power units for the season under the ADUO. Teams are expected to receive results before the Dutch Grand Prix, and Red Bull Racing should be prepared for their power unit to once again be the best. According to GPBlog, after the previous ADUO assessment, Mercedes made changes to their power unit, but these were solely aimed at improving reliability. It is claimed that these refinements did not provide a power increase sufficient to surpass Red Bull-Ford's performance and give competitors a chance to refine their power units.
However, it cannot be ruled out that after numerous complaints and discussions with Red Bull, the FIA may use a different assessment methodology this time. In any case, the FIA plans to adjust the ADUO rules in the future to include battery characteristics in the evaluation, but Formula 1 teams have yet to reach a consensus on this issue.
At the beginning of summer, the FIA noted that Red Bull-Ford had the best engine, which was an unpleasant surprise for the Milton Keynes team, who expected to gain the right to refine their engine, as they believed their power unit was inferior to at least Mercedes. The problem for Red Bull Racing is that the ADUO only considers the characteristics of the internal combustion engine, while the apparent weak point of the Red Bull-Ford power unit is the battery.
After the Hungarian Grand Prix, the FIA began the second analysis of power units for the season under the ADUO. Teams are expected to receive results before the Dutch Grand Prix, and Red Bull Racing should be prepared for their power unit to once again be the best. According to GPBlog, after the previous ADUO assessment, Mercedes made changes to their power unit, but these were solely aimed at improving reliability. It is claimed that these refinements did not provide a power increase sufficient to surpass Red Bull-Ford's performance and give competitors a chance to refine their power units.
However, it cannot be ruled out that after numerous complaints and discussions with Red Bull, the FIA may use a different assessment methodology this time. In any case, the FIA plans to adjust the ADUO rules in the future to include battery characteristics in the evaluation, but Formula 1 teams have yet to reach a consensus on this issue.