Verstappen says Red Bull-Ford still disadvantaged
"We are surprised as a team"
Max Verstappen says Red Bull remains in talks with the FIA over the ADUO engine system after the governing body twice concluded that Red Bull-Ford has Formula 1’s benchmark combustion engine.
The first ADUO review, completed after the early-season assessment period, put Red Bull-Ford on top and therefore gave it no extra homologation opportunities, while Mercedes qualified for one additional upgrade and Ferrari, Honda and Audi for two.
The FIA’s second review, completed after Hungary, again left Red Bull-Ford as the benchmark and awarded no further homologations to any manufacturer.
That means Red Bull has now been locked out of the ADUO concessions through both assessments, despite Verstappen and the team continuing to argue that the overall Red Bull-Ford power unit is not actually the strongest package.
"We are surprised as a team and we see it very differently ourselves," Verstappen said at Monza.
"We are currently still in talks with the FIA about next year. We will see what comes from that."
He also warned that Monza could expose the disadvantage further as rival manufacturers introduce upgrades.
"Our rivals are currently bringing their engine upgrades to the cars," said Verstappen.
"We were already at a disadvantage before. And I don’t expect much to change that at the moment."
Verstappen meanwhile revealed just how unwell he had been during his difficult Zandvoort weekend, where he crashed heavily on the opening lap.
"I was very sick," he admitted.
"When you’re so sick, you appreciate it so much more when you’re fully recovered. The whole weekend in Zandvoort was a drama."
"After Zandvoort I still didn’t feel good for a few days. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way."
He said the impact itself caused no lasting concern thanks to the SAFER barrier.
"It was the first time I hit that SAFER wall," he said. "It did its job pretty well."