Red Bull-Ford has retained its position as Formula 1’s power unit benchmark after the FIA confirmed the latest findings of its Additional Upgrades and Opportunities (ADUO) assessment, reinforcing the advantage enjoyed by the championship’s newest engine manufacturer.
The governing body’s second-period evaluation covers the opening 14 rounds of the 2026 season, from the Australian Grand Prix through the Hungarian Grand Prix, and once again places Red Bull-Ford’s internal combustion engine at the top of the power table.
Mercedes remains the closest challenger, but the German manufacturer is estimated to be between 2% and 4% behind Red Bull-Ford in terms of power. Audi, Ferrari and Honda are more than 4% adrift, although Honda’s revised power unit introduced at Zandvoort came too late to be included in this particular assessment.
The figures underline an intriguing reversal of expectations surrounding the first year of F1’s new power unit regulations. Red Bull-Ford, entering its first season as a works engine manufacturer, has emerged as the reference point despite the experience and established resources of its rivals.
FIA stands by the robustness of its findings
The ADUO system was introduced to monitor competitive disparities between manufacturers and provide additional development opportunities where significant performance deficits are identified.
Following the first quarter of the season, Mercedes was understood to have qualified for one additional homologation opportunity for both 2026 and 2027, while Audi, Ferrari and Honda were eligible for two additional opportunities in each of those seasons.
The concessions include extra cost-cap allowances and additional dynamometer testing.
However, the latest assessment has not triggered any further homologation opportunities. The FIA has confirmed the updated ranking without awarding additional allowances to any manufacturer.
Nikolas Tombazis, FIA director of single-seater, stressed that the federation has considerable confidence in the process behind its conclusions, while acknowledging that ADUO remains a new mechanism that could evolve.
Read also: FIA concedes controversial ADUO scheme has ‘weaknesses’“The FIA has undertaken thorough and exhaustive analysis as part of our ADUO review process,” said Tombazis.
“With the release of the findings of period two, we are confident that, based on the quality of the data, its analysis is incredibly robust, giving us a high level of confidence in our findings. We also have to respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of the teams and their power unit manufacturers in disseminating any details from the findings.
“This is the first year of ADUO so naturally there are areas which we may evolve over time, in discussion with all the PU manufacturers.”
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