FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s suggestion that Formula 1 (F1) could explore further ways to help Honda and Aston Martin improve their competitiveness has prompted responses from some of the sport’s leading figures. Ben Sulayem linked the situation directly to Fernando Alonso’s future, arguing that the two-time World Champion should not feel forced to leave F1 because of Aston Martin’s current performance level.
His comments also brought renewed attention to the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) regulations. F1 already adjusted the mechanism earlier in the season, but the possibility of further assistance for Honda has now raised questions over whether the rules could change again.
While Laurent Mekies and Toto Wolff signalled that they would be open to discussing further adjustments, Honda itself played down the prospect of relying on additional regulatory help. The Japanese squad is a long, long way behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in the engine department, with a significant deficit to Audi also.
Ben Sulayem determined to prevent Alonso exit
Ben Sulayem made his position on Alonso’s future clear, insisting that the Spaniard should have the opportunity to leave F1 on his own terms rather than because Aston Martin cannot give him a competitive package. The FIA president also said he had already spoken with Alonso about Aston Martin’s struggles, although the driver had not directly raised the possibility of leaving F1 with him.
“There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave, Alonso, a great champion, to leave just because of the circumstances. That’s not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful and then he leaves whenever he wants, not because he was forced to leave because of the performance. I share the issues, the car is not performing. As I said, I met with the owner, with Lawrence [Stroll] yesterday, and I am going to do the changes and I will talk to him to try to make him change his mind. It’s not acceptable.”
Ben Sulayem reveals talks with Alonso
Ben Sulayem said he had noticed Alonso’s frustration and discussed the situation with him, while also referring to changes introduced earlier in the season to assist with power unit development. He added that he had asked Alonso directly what he believed needed to change, rather than telling the Aston Martin driver what steps the FIA planned to take.
“I’m sorry, it’s the first time I hear it. I heard some rumours, but when I saw him, he didn’t mention it, I will be speaking to him. I said to him, I saw him very sad, I said, ‘Fernando, I understand that it’s not acceptable that you are coming to your own country and then now, after two times the world champion, and you are at the last.’ We did something earlier in May, legally, for the team, towards the engine, to go and improve.
“And then I said to him, I’m not going to tell you what we are going to do. Please tell me what you want, because you are the driver, and come and tell me what do you want us to do to improve these results. Suddenly, you see everything change. And then I got a call and then I had a meeting yesterday. We are here also to support.“
Mekies open to further ADUO discussions
Laurent Mekies stressed that F1’s stakeholders have previously shown a willingness to alter regulations when they believe a change benefits the wider championship. The existing ADUO system has already undergone changes this year, and Mekies pointed out that teams supported those adjustments despite potentially having competing interests.
Rather than ruling out another adjustment, the Frenchman expects the teams and governing body to discuss how the ADUO system operates and address weaknesses they have identified.
“You know, I think as much as we cannot agree all the time, I think as a sport, we try to keep a fairly open look at the regulations. And you may recall that actually there was a first change in the ADUO regulations done earlier this year, precisely in order to help those who were much behind compared to what was initially voted. So all the teams voted that, we voted in favour of that, for the benefit of the sport.
“So, as I said, we cannot agree on everything, but certainly as stakeholders of the sport, if there is a situation that needs fixing, that needs to be fixed, or needs to be supported, we will normally find a solution. And I’m sure, I guess more to your question, that we will at some stage sit down and discuss the future of the ADUO regulations. To shortfalls, we know some of them, and I’m sure there will be a few others to address, like the one you are mentioning.”
Wolff believes Honda needs more support
Toto Wolff also indicated that he would be open to further adjustments, pointing to the purpose behind the ADUO mechanism itself. The Mercedes boss argued that F1 benefits from having its major manufacturers fighting competitively and suggested the regulations should remain capable of adapting when required.
Wolff’s comments echo Mekies’ willingness to consider changes rather than treating the existing framework as fixed.
“I think ADUO in that case was designed as a catch-up mechanism. That formula was unlocked for Honda and they need more. And I think the conversation that the president had with a lot of us, we want to have all of these proper structures in the sport. We want them to be competitive and successful. And rakes could be for the best of the sport. Sometimes maybe we need an adjustment from the FIA.”
Honda not expecting “magic” solution
Despite Ben Sulayem’s willingness to explore additional support and the openness from rival teams in F1, Honda itself adopted a more reserved position. Shintaro Orihara said the manufacturer did not know what the FIA president had in mind and stressed that Honda remained focused on its own development programme rather than expecting an external solution to transform its performance.
“I don’t know what he is thinking, so I don’t think he can give us some magic. Just we focus on our development plan, and working hard to improve by ourselves. So that is our plan at the moment.”
Honda’s response therefore puts the emphasis back on its own development work, even as discussions continue over whether F1’s catch-up regulations could undergo another revision.
Further discussions could follow
For now, Ben Sulayem’s comments have opened the door to further discussions over how far F1 should go in helping manufacturers, like Honda, close performance gaps. Mekies and Wolff have both shown a willingness to revisit the existing framework if the sport believes changes are necessary, while Honda has made clear that its immediate focus remains on improving through its own development work.
Whether the FIA takes further action remains to be seen, but the issue is likely to stay in focus as Honda and Aston Martin continue their push to become more competitive.
