Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has denied speculation that his team has the best performing power unit in Formula 1 and therefore expects them to be given the chance to improve it during an upcoming engine-upgrade window.
Included in the new power-unit regulations for the 2026 season was a performance-balancing measure - Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) - that will allow those trailing the leading manufacturer by two per cent or more to develop their models.
The first window for upgrades was originally scheduled for after this weekend's Miami Grand Prix but could be pushed back as a result of two of the first six rounds - races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - having been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Despite Mercedes having dominated the opening three rounds of the season to sit top of the standings, 119 points clear of Red Bull in sixth, there had been speculation in the media that the latter actually possess the strongest internal combustion engine (ICE), the power-unit element which is being measured to determine who benefits from ADUO.
Mekies told Your Site News: "Is it [Red Bull's engine] at the level of the very best? Absolutely not.
"Hence, do we expect to be in that group of people able to be given the possibility to catch up? Yes, we certainly hope to be in that category."
Mekies agreed with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff's recent statement that ADUO should allow manufacturers to "catch up" rather than "leapfrog" rivals, but appears adamant it is the Silver Arrows who have the best ICE.
"I think Toto is right," Mekies added. "The tool is here to catch up, not to leapfrog anyone. So I'm completely with him on that one."
The regulations set out three periods of ADUO during the season, with those adjudged to be at least two per cent behind the manufacturer with the best-performing internal combustion engine awarded development opportunities.
Wolff suggested Honda, who are supplying Aston Martin's engine, are the only manufacturer in need of help from the regulations. The Austrian claimed Red Bull, Ferrari and Audi are in a similar "ballpark" to Mercedes.
Speaking in a separate interview with the written media, Mekies estimated Mercedes' advantage over Red Bull to be at "three-tenths" of a second per lap, a large amount of which he believes is coming from their ICE.
He said: "What we see is certainly Mercedes, a long way ahead of most of us. And yes, you're right, one guy [Honda] particularly behind.
"The other guys are probably quite close to us, Ferrari and Audi, and fair enough, Honda is probably struggling a bit more.
"To extract the right combustion-engine performance in a fair way across the teams is very difficult. I think overall results are probably giving you the best, the most fair picture, of where everybody is at."
Red Bull's poor start to the season has contributed to doubts over whether four-time world champion Max Verstappen will remain with the team beyond the end of the year.
The Dutchman, who says he is unhappy with the 2026 regulations, said in Japan that he is considering stepping away from the sport at the end of the year.
However, Mekies is optimistic upcoming Red Bull upgrades will provide a platform for Verstappen to push forward the car's development, and also lift the Dutchman's spirits.
"The Max we see is a fully committed Max. He wants a fast car and he's helping the team to get a fast car. He's bringing all his energy to that," Mekies said.
"He's passionate about the sport. As you said, he raised his voice when he felt things needed to be done. We have a step forward for the regulations coming for Miami. He's embracing that. Will it be enough? We have time to see together if it's going to be enough or not.
"We are conscious that the priority is that we give him a car he can push with. And this has not much to do with the regs. We knew we gave him and Isack (Hadjar) a very difficult car in the first three races. And we need to give him a car he can consistently push with.
"Then after, it doesn't mean that it will be fast enough for positions, but it means he can start to bring his 'Max effect' and we can start to build development onto that car.
"And I have every confidence that things may not be fixed for Miami, but that the team is going to get to the bottom of what is limiting us in the same way that they have done last year, and that you will see more and more smile on Max's face."
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Your Site F1.
