No wins in 2026, but officially the best internal combustion engine in Formula 1: Red Bull couldn’t resist the urge to mock the latest ADUO rankings.
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Red Bull decided to use self-mockery after the latest decisions made by ADUO regarding Formula 1 power units.
The situation is indeed surprising. While Red Bull has not yet won any Grand Prix since the start of the 2026 season, its internal combustion engine is officially considered the best on the grid.
A conclusion that may seem paradoxical when simply looking at the on-track results. Mercedes HPP has already powered its cars to eleven wins this season, while Ferrari has two.
But the criteria used by ADUO tell a very different story.
Red Bull officially ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari
As part of its evaluation, ADUO does not take into account the overall performance of the hybrid power unit.
Its analysis focuses solely on the power delivered by the internal combustion engine, the ICE.
And according to the latest measurements, it is indeed Red Bull Powertrains that has the most powerful internal combustion engine on the grid.
A rather surprising result given the current sporting hierarchy.
Mercedes dominates the number of wins with eleven successes, while Ferrari has also managed to win twice. Red Bull, for its part, is still waiting for its first victory of the season.
Yet this does not prevent its ICE from being at the very top of the hierarchy established by ADUO.
A ranking that only tells part of the story
This apparent contradiction is explained by the way performances are evaluated.
The pure power of the internal combustion engine represents only part of the performance of a modern power unit. The deployment of electrical energy, recovery, overall system efficiency, and its integration into the car also play a decisive role.
Red Bull experienced this firsthand at Monza.
Max Verstappen explained after the Italian Grand Prix that the RB22 particularly suffered in energy deployment compared to cars equipped with the Mercedes engine.
The Dutchman also highlighted its lack of speed on certain straights, despite a solid enough race to finish on the podium.
Thus, having the ICE judged the most powerful does not necessarily mean having the most efficient power unit in all situations.
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Red Bull chooses to laugh about it
Faced with this unusual situation, Red Bull’s social media team did not miss the opportunity.
The team published a humorous message to highlight this particularly flattering status: officially having the best internal combustion engine in Formula 1 despite a win counter still stuck at zero.
A way to humorously underline the gap between ADUO’s technical conclusions and the visible results every weekend on track.
Red Bull can also see it as a reason for satisfaction. Developing its own power unit was one of the major challenges of its project for the new 2026 regulations.
Seeing its internal combustion engine placed at the top is therefore an encouraging signal, even if the entire package still needs to improve.
Mercedes remains the reference on track
Because in fact, it is Mercedes that currently imposes its law.
The German manufacturer has already accumulated eleven wins with its power units and its superiority was particularly visible again at Monza.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell delivered a one-two for the official team, while the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, also powered by Mercedes, finished fourth and fifth.
Even Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, said he was impressed by the speed of the cars equipped with the German engine on the straights.
The ADUO ranking therefore does not mean that Red Bull automatically has the best powertrain overall.
A distinction Red Bull intends to capitalize on
For Red Bull Powertrains, this recognition remains symbolically important.
The manufacturer took on a huge challenge by developing its own engine for the new generation of cars. While the sporting results are not yet up to the team’s ambitions, the performance of its internal combustion engine at least provides an encouraging base.
It now remains to transform this pure power into overall performance capable of competing with Mercedes over a full lap and race.
While waiting to secure its first win of the season, Red Bull can at least claim an unexpected title: that of the best internal combustion engine on the grid according to ADUO. A sufficiently paradoxical situation for the team itself to have decided to laugh about it on social media.
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