The FIA has confirmed that Mercedes has been granted the opportunity to upgrade its engine, despite objections from rival teams. This decision follows the findings from the first two periods of the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, a mechanism introduced for the 2026 Formula 1 season to help power unit manufacturers catch up to the performance of the leading engine.
The ADUO system, detailed in Article C4 of the 2026 Formula 1 Technical Regulations, allows power unit manufacturers whose Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) performance is at least two per cent below the best-performing ICE across defined review periods to introduce additional homologated upgrades. These manufacturers also benefit from increased cost cap allowances and dyno testing opportunities. The level of allowance is determined by the size of the performance gap to the leading ICE.
First Review Period Findings
The first review period concluded after the Canadian Grand Prix and covered the first five rounds of the season. In June, it was revealed that the FIA had determined Red Bull possessed the strongest engine. Consequently, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, and Honda were granted upgrade opportunities.
For this first period, Mercedes was found to be within the two to four per cent window below the leading engine. This determination allows them one additional homologation in 2026 and another in 2027, along with corresponding increases in cost cap and dyno testing. Audi, Ferrari, and Honda were deemed to be more than four per cent below the leading engine, entitling them to two additional homologations in 2026 and two in 2027, also with increased cost cap and dyno testing allowances.
The FIA did not publicly release these findings initially, but teams and drivers confirmed the outcome, and a document detailing the results was leaked. The ruling generated controversy, as the general consensus in the paddock was that Mercedes, whose works team had won the first six grands prix of the season, was receiving an upgrade. In contrast, Red Bull, which had secured only a single podium finish during that time, could potentially fall further behind its rivals.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen publicly criticised the findings. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also questioned the FIA‘s processes in July, stating that his team had “the most powerful power unit.”
Second Review Period Findings and Ongoing Process
The FIA withheld public confirmation of the results while a review was conducted. Following the second round of assessment, which concluded with the Hungarian Grand Prix before the sport’s summer break, the findings from both periods have now been officially announced. For the second period, no additional homologations were granted to any of the power unit manufacturers.
This indicates that Red Bull is considered to be performing within two per cent of the best engine, and may still be judged to have the strongest power unit. Had any of the other teams’ upgrades since June propelled their performance beyond Red Bull‘s, the Milton Keynes squad could have been granted its own upgrade opportunity.
FIA director of single seater Nikolas Tombazis stated that the FIA conducted a thorough analysis as part of the ADUO review process. He expressed confidence in the robustness of the analysis and the findings, while also emphasising the need to respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of the teams and their power unit manufacturers.
Mercedes has been eligible to use its 2026 upgrade since the first-round results were communicated in June, though they are not believed to have implemented it yet. Ferrari, Audi, and Honda are understood to have introduced one of their two allotted upgrades for 2026. The third ADUO review period commenced with the Dutch Grand Prix and will run until the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1.
In the current standings, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli leads his team-mate George Russell and Ferrari‘s Lewis Hamilton by 59 points in the drivers’ championship. Verstappen is 130 points behind Antonelli, in sixth place. Mercedes holds an 87-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings, while third-placed McLaren, which uses a Mercedes engine, has shown strong form with reigning world champion Lando Norris winning the last two races. Formula 1 will head to Monza for Ferrari‘s home race at the Italian Grand Prix on September 4-6.
Source: skysports.com