Williams boss James Vowles is pushing a sliding-scale cost cap proposal that would let backmarkers spend more to close the gap, but it faces a divided grid when the F1 Commission meets Monday. The plan — dubbed "ADUO for teams" after the engine catch-up mechanism — has backing from just four outfits: Cadillac, Alpine, Aston Martin, and Audi. Haas opposes it, arguing they're not near the cap anyway so more headroom doesn't help. Racing Bulls are out too. Vowles needs six teams plus the FIA and FOM for a supermajority to fast-track it for 2027, but four is enough to trigger implementation by 2028. Meanwhile, top teams are countering with their own cost cap grievance: the current rules suppress salaries and bleed talent to tech companies. Mercedes wanted an exemption for junior staff wages but got nowhere. Expect the Monday session to split into two camps — one fighting to climb the order, the other fighting to keep their engineers.
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