Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes further changes could be made to Formula 1‘s ADUO regulations to help Honda’s power unit progress, following recent talks between FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Fernando Alonso.
The Spaniard has endured a miserable season with the Silverstone-based squad, as late development of its AMR26 and the Japanese marque’s accompanying power unit problems have seen it rooted to the foot of the grid.
F1’s new regulations have seen the introduction of ADUO, enabling qualifying manufacturers to produce upgrades to its power units to minimalise the gap to their rivals.
Aston and Honda have benefitted, with the gap to other teams on the grid narrowing as a result.
But Alonso has been outspoken about the new regulations and his dislike of them, going so far as saying at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix that F1 cannot wait until the scheduled next regulations cycle to change.
Rumours over the weekend at the Madring surfaced that the FIA president is seeking flexibility to the regulations to appease Alonso and ensure his future in the sport, amid rumours of an impending retirement.
Ben Sulayem, speaking at a business forum in Madrid, unprompted, described his discussions with Alonso, saying the approach put the onus back on the driver to define what support was needed.
“We did something earlier in May, legally, for the team, towards the engine, to go and improve,” the Emirati said. “Then I said to him [Alonso], ‘I’m not going to tell you what we are going to do. Please tell me what you want because you are the driver; tell me what do you want us to do to improve these results’.”
According to Ben Sulayem, that conversation shifted the dialogue between the parties.
“Suddenly you see everything change, and then I get a call, and then I had a meeting yesterday,” he said. “We are here also to support.”
Wolff: We want constructors ‘to be competitive and successful’
Speaking at the Madring, Mercedes Team Principal Wolff addressed the ADUO mechanism and Ben Sulayem’s comments:
“I think the ADUO in that case was designed as a catch-up mechanism, and that formula was unlocked for Honda,” he said. “And they need more. And I think the conversation that the president had with Alonso is fair enough.”
Wolff was keen to stress that the sport benefits from having manufacturers like Honda competitive at the front.
“You know, we want to have all of these top constructors in the sport,” he said. “We want them to be competitive and successful.”
He added that regulatory flexibility should remain part of the FIA’s approach when circumstances demand it.
“And rules are built to do the best for the sport, and sometimes maybe there needs an adjustment,” Wolff said. “So, fair enough conversation.”
Neither Wolff nor Ben Sulayem detailed what specific adjustments to the ADUO regulations might be considered, though Wolff’s comments suggest Mercedes would not oppose further concessions being made to assist Honda’s power unit development.
READ MORE – F1 reveals 2027 calendar with shock Monaco twist
Discussion about this post