Ferrari is continuing work on its second ADUO engine upgrade package after reports suggested its internal combustion engine still trails Red Bull‘s benchmark power unit by as much as 6–8%.
Waiting for the new turbo with ADUO-2
Lewis Hamilton described the Austrian Grand Prix as a “reality check” — a weekend that exposed Ferrari’s current competitive position. It was also the first race in which the Scuderia introduced an upgraded power unit incorporating the improvements allowed under what can be described as ADUO-1, the first of the two engine development updates Ferrari is entitled to use during the 2026 season.
Under the current regulations, manufacturers whose internal combustion engine is more than 4% behind the reference benchmark are permitted two development updates in both 2026 and 2027. According to a report from The Race, Ferrari’s ICE is still estimated to be between 6% and 8% behind Red Bull’s unit, which has been widely regarded as the strongest engine on the Formula 1 grid during the opening phase of the 2026 campaign.
The upgrade introduced by Ferrari in Austria focused on improvements that did not require structural modifications to either the power unit or the SF-26 itself. However, ADUO-2 is expected to represent a much more substantial step forward, involving significant hardware changes.
Everything points to Ferrari adopting a larger turbocharger in an effort to match its rivals. The Maranello-based team originally chose a smaller, more responsive turbo design, but some of the intended advantages of that concept were later reduced by changes to the Formula 1 start procedure regulations.
The new Ferrari power unit is expected to make its debut after the summer break, either at the Dutch Grand Prix or at Ferrari’s home race at Monza, where the circuit’s long straights make having a sufficiently large turbocharger absolutely essential.
Ferrari’s upcoming technical overhaul therefore highlights the immense challenge of refining power unit performance under the sport’s restrictive development guidelines. While the initial engine updates offered Lewis Hamilton and the team a baseline reality check, unlocking the full potential of the SF-26 depends entirely on the structural success of the ADUO-2 turbocharger redesign. Maximizing these upcoming hybrid gains will be crucial if the Maranello squad hopes to erase their current deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull and mount a genuine competitive fightback during the second half of the championship trail.
