Audi explains why Red Bull holds benchmark engine status in ADUO check

The ADUO process was always going to produce a pecking order, and Red Bull sitting at the top of it tells you something about where the power unit development race actually stands heading into the new era. What matters here is that Audi, as a new entrant building toward 2026, is using this benchmark not as a embarrassment but as a calibration point — the article makes clear they're treating it as a reference rather than a verdict. For a manufacturer still assembling its F1 programme, knowing precisely how far behind the current gold standard you are is more useful than vague optimism. The transparency around the ADUO checkpoint suggests the process is functioning as intended: giving incoming suppliers a hard number to chase.