Audi has leaped ahead of the entire Formula 1 paddock. While the FIA has not yet officially formalized the ADUO advantages and Red Bull continues to protest what they consider an unfair application, Audi has sprung a surprise: they confirmed that they had already used a new engine in Barcelona, leveraging these aids that are not yet official.
As Audi had already anticipated that it would gain the ADUO advantages, they worked on them from the outset without waiting for definitive results. But they have advanced so far that they installed the new engine in Barcelona before the FIA had given, at least publicly, final approval, since Red Bull’s complaint is delaying everything.
Red Bull’s Complaints Delay the ADUO, But Not for Audi
As if there wasn’t enough confusion around the ADUO rules, another, even more inexplicable event has occurred in Formula 1. Audi confirms that it had already used a new engine in Barcelona, improved with the token granted by the ADUO regulation. The problem is that no one knew this regulation was coming into effect.
The ADUO were to come into effect after the season’s sixth race, but with the cancellation of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, an advance date had to be set. Theoretically, Canada was meant to mark the cut-off, and in Monaco, the next race, there was an FIA leak: Red Bull had the best engine and every other team was entering the ADUO.
A leak that never became official confirmation, at least publicly. In fact, Red Bull announced that it would challenge the outcome of the ADUO because they found it unsatisfactory. It seemed that the entire ADUO rollout was being delayed… but now it turns out that someone has jumped ahead.
Audi rolled out a new engine in Barcelona. It wasn’t a revolution, but rather a modification made possible by the ADUO opportunities. The German brand insists that it was a change aimed only at drivability, but the big question is when the notification was given that engine improvements can be made.
The point is that Ferrari will also introduce in Austria, this very weekend, a new engine improved thanks to the ADUO advantages. Honda has also confirmed that its new power unit will arrive in Hungary. A starting pistol for the ADUO, without the FIA having publicly explained its results.
It seems that once again not even the FIA understands its own rules and has turned the ADUO into a new information chaos.
Images | Audi
