FIA freezes power unit upgrades
Red Bull Racing keeps its baseline status as rival Formula 1 manufacturers receive zero extra development opportunities in the final assessment period of 2026.
Motorsport reported that the Fรฉdรฉration Internationale de l’Automobile released the definitive Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities results for the season, leaving all existing concessions untouched.
The governing body evaluated engine data from the Dutch Grand Prix through the United States Grand Prix. According to Motorsport, relative performance gaps shifted slightly during this window, but the changes did not trigger extra homologations for any power unit supplier.
Red Bull Ford Powertrains remains the benchmark for the internal combustion engine. Red Bull Ford Powertrains gets no extra development opportunities assigned after the third ADUO assessment of the season, and no manufacturer meets the conditions to get supplementary homologations or extra test options this time.
Third assessment findings
The third review period covered races twelve through eighteen on the Formula 1 calendar. The FIA shared the results with all power unit suppliers.
Nikolas Tombazis, single-seater director at the FIA, expressed confidence in the governing body’s data collection methods. Given the quality of the data and the soundness of the assessment process, we have confidence in our findings and the conclusions we have drawn,
Tombazis said, as reported in the primary source material.
Tombazis also stated that The first year of implementation has also convinced us even more that the ADUO concept is the right one for Formula 1,
pointing out that the system must continue to evolve to remain efficient, relevant, and fit for purpose, and noting that the FIA has worked closely with power unit manufacturers and teams to explore methodological improvements that will support the continued effectiveness of ADUO in future seasons.
Earlier homologation concessions
The ADUO system launched for the 2026 technical regulations to prevent teams from locking in a permanent deficit at the start of a new era. The system was introduced to slightly narrow the differences between engine suppliers in Formula 1, measuring only the internal combustion engine while allowing manufacturers who qualify for ADUO to also adjust electrical components such as the battery and MGU-K.
During the opening assessment ending at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes lagged between two and four percent behind the leading Red Bull power unit. Motorsport reported that this deficit earned the German manufacturer one extra homologation for 2026 and another for 2027.
๐จ | | ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ก: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ! The FIA has completed its final 2026 ADUO review, confirming that no further engine upgrade opportunities have been granted. ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐นโฆ pic.twitter.com/6PzdQiTyB2
Ferrari, Audi, and Honda suffered power deficits exceeding four percent in that initial phase. F1maximaal reported that these three suppliers secured two extra upgrades for the current campaign and two more for the following season, alongside more financial space and additional hours on the test bench so the gap to the strongest engine could be reduced faster.
Red Bull protest background
Red Bull contested its initial designation as the benchmark manufacturer after the first motor audit. Motorsport noted that the team requested a formal review of the performance analysis, which temporarily delayed the publication of those early findings.
Red Bull Powertrains kreeg na het eerste motoronderzoek het verrassende bericht dat zij de sterkste verbrandingsmotor op de grid hadden gebouwd, terwijl Mercedes aanzienlijk sneller was, waarna Red Bull in protest ging en een tweede onderzoek uitwees dat de ICE van Red Bull Powertrains beter was dan die van Mercedes.
Subsequent evaluations during the summer break and the final autumn window upheld the original hierarchy. RacingNews365 confirmed that Red Bull Ford Powertrains stayed clear of the concession categories throughout every review cycle, remaining outside the categories for which the FIA makes extra development space available, and neither the second nor the third motor audit gave Mercedes or other rivals extra homologations.
Tombazis defended the regulatory framework in his official remarks. The first year of implementation has also convinced us even more that the ADUO concept is the right one for Formula 1,
he stated, pointing to ongoing cooperation with power unit manufacturers to refine the methodology for future seasons.
Remaining open questions
The exact performance delta between individual power units remains confidential under FIA data protocols.
The next evaluation window opens in 2027, covering the initial six races of the calendar from the Bahrain Grand Prix to the Miami Grand Prix.
Worth a look
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