‘Gloves off’: Red Bull would love freer F1 engine development

Red Bull Powertrains technical director Ben Hodgkinson has made it clear he would rather see Formula 1 scrap homologation altogether and unleash a full “gloves-off” engine fight between manufacturers.

The sport’s newest power unit era has barely roared into life, yet the technical debate is already running as hot as the combustion chambers themselves.

With sweeping changes now in effect – most notably a dramatic rise in electrical output that places it on near-equal footing with the internal combustion engine – Formula 1 has simultaneously tightened its regulatory framework in an effort to keep competition close.

At the center of that framework is the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, a rulebook mechanism designed to stop one manufacturer from sprinting away from the field the way Mercedes famously did when the hybrid era began in 2014.

Hodgkinson, however, has little appetite for padded guardrails when it comes to engineering competition, preferring a more open battlefield.

‘Gloves-Off’ vs. The Rulebook

The ADUO structure schedules performance reviews after the sixth, 12th, and 18th races of the F1 season, potentially granting struggling manufacturers additional development leeway.

In theory, it acts as a competitive equalizer – a structured attempt to prevent one engine supplier from building an untouchable advantage.

But Hodgkinson’s personal stance leans firmly toward raw, unrestricted rivalry.

“I would personally love just to get rid of homologation, have a gloves-off fight, that's what I'd really like,” commented the British engineer during Red Bull’s unveiling of its 2026 car livery.

“But we are where we are, we have a cost cap and we have dyno hours limits, so I think there's enough limits in place without this.”

His perspective highlights the layered restrictions modern F1 teams already face. Beyond homologation freezes, manufacturers must operate within strict financial ceilings and limited testing hours.

From Hodgkinson’s viewpoint, the sport is hardly short of constraints without adding another technical lock.

Why Catching Up Isn’t So Simple

While the ADUO system is intended to help trailing manufacturers close performance gaps, Hodgkinson stresses that power unit development does not operate on the same rapid cycle as aerodynamic tweaks or suspension upgrades.

Engines are complex industrial projects with timelines stretching across months of design, machining, validation, and deployment. He does acknowledge that those who execute best from the outset deserve to benefit.

“Does it sufficiently reward the people that get it right? I think so,” he said.

“The bit that I don't think is fully understood amongst the rule makers is the gestation time of an idea in power units is much longer than it is in chassis.

“So if I need to make a change, firstly, I've not just got two cars to update, I've got a whole fleet of engines in the pool, so I could have 12 engines that I need to update, and so that takes time.

“But also, because we're homologated, you can't really take a flyer on something that isn't well proven because you could be signing up to a world of pain.

• Read also: Status quo: FIA stands firm in F1 engine loophole debate

“So we've got a minimum number of durability that we'd want to achieve on our new part and our new idea.

“Our parts normally are very, very high-precision metal bits that just take time to manufacture, so we can have a 12-week manufacturing time on some bits.

“And then it will take a similar length of time to prove it all out, and then a similar length of time to get it all furnished in the race pool.”

In essence, Formula 1’s engine war is not a quick sprint but a drawn-out logistical campaign. A single upgrade can ripple across an entire engine allocation, multiplying both risk and time investment.

Under homologation, experimentation carries heavy consequences – one misstep can lock a manufacturer into months of disadvantage.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook