Naomi Schiff shares why Red Bull will wish they had a worse engine after ADUO ‘punishments’

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Naomi Schiff has claimed that Red Bull will be wishing they had a slower engine after being ‘punished’ by ADUO.

Ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, a new set of rules and regulations were set out by the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

In the new rules, ADUO was introduced, which stands for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities.

The introduction of ADUO is aimed at giving teams that are more than two per cent behind the manufacturer with the best-performing engine development opportunities.

Recently, it was claimed that Red Bull have developed the best engine on the grid, meaning rivals like Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren will be handed opportunities to close the gap.

What are your thoughts on Mercedes being granted an engine upgrade through ADUO despite their 2026 dominance?

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Naomi Schiff says Red Bull’s ‘hands are tied’ after being ‘punished’ by ADUO

While Red Bull are set to challenge the FIA’s decision, Schiff has claimed that they will be wishing they had made a slower engine. 

For 2026, Red Bull have produced their own engine for the very first time, and it has worked out great as they have the best power unit on the grid. 

Speaking on the latest episode of the Up To Speed podcast, Schiff stated that Red Bull have now been ‘punished’ for doing the best job. 

In addition, the 32-year-old questioned the ‘incentive’ of F1 and wondered how Red Bull will be feeling behind the scenes.

Schiff said: “I still always feel a bit weird about these sorts of punishments for good performance or good development.

“I do understand why it needs to exist because, just as we were saying, do we want to see one team or one driver run away with everything? Not necessarily.

“But, at the same time, what is the incentive for performing well if you’re going to just be punished for it?

“Like Red Bull right now, are probably going, ‘Damn, I mean, yes, great. The first-ever power unit that we built ourselves as we build power trains is really quick, although it has reliability issues’.

“‘Should we not have had a better engine, we could have probably made additional upgrades, especially because now the teams are understanding how these cars and engines perform on track in a real-world scenario.’

“Maybe there are things they would have done differently or would have liked to change. Their hands are tied, whereas others have the opportunity to make those changes. I wonder how much of a swing that then puts into the championship.”

Give us your podium prediction for the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend 👇

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READ MORE: Max Verstappen is going to win the Austrian Grand Prix if Red Bull ‘insiders’ are telling the truth

Despite having the best power unit on the grid, Red Bull are a long way off their rivals, as they currently sit fourth in the world championship with 89 points, 173 points away from Mercedes.

It has been noted that the RB-22’s chassis could be the main aspect that is holding Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar back.

So far, Verstappen has only managed one podium finish, while Hadjar has endured a couple of tough races. 

Heading into this weekend, Verstappen and Hadjar will be hoping Red Bull can produce their best as the Austrian Grand Prix is the team’s home race.

In addition, four-time world champion Verstappen typically enjoys the Red Bull Ring, having dominated on multiple occasions.