F1 and ADUO
One of the most discussed topics during the Barcelona GP weekend was inevitably related to the allocation of the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) to the least performing teams in this championship. A topic that was also debated during the press conference reserved for team principals, which Toto Wolff attended.
Wolff’s Endorsement
The Austrian Mercedes manager expressed his opinion on this new regulatory mechanism introduced this year, promoting it in order to avoid a situation already seen in the past: “The ADUO was conceived as a protection mechanism to avoid a situation similar to that of 2014 – he explained – when an engine manufacturer had a huge advantage over struggling teams, dominating Formula 1 with test mileage and race results. We were on the winning side, but this is what we wanted to avoid, especially with the arrival of new teams like Audi and, to some extent, Honda with Aston Martin, and obviously Red Bull. This is how it works, and it’s right that it is so. Now we can ask ourselves if an engine adjustment is necessary, as is the case for aerodynamics. Briatore called me and said he wanted the best engine… and now the ADUO has determined that we don’t have it.”
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An Example to Avoid
At the same time, Wolff was very clear about what Formula 1 must absolutely avoid in the future, and which is instead present in WEC: “I get nauseous when I talk about BOP (Balance of Performance), it’s something we should stay away from in Formula 1 – he added – it’s a political chaos in all other categories, it pushes manufacturers to abandon the sport, and I’ve been very close to it, as you can imagine, in DTM, in GT, at Le Mans, and we should never give in to the temptation of having someone agree on how the performance/performance ratio should be balanced. If there is a mechanism that provides precise tuning to ensure that no one finds themselves in embarrassing situations from a powertrain perspective, I believe this is the right way to go, because if you look at aerodynamics, this was conceived for a completely different situation.”
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