Ferrari’s Formula 1 engine deficit remains above 4% compared with Red Bull’s benchmark internal combustion engine, despite the upgrades introduced during the 2026 season under the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system. The governing body has completed its third assessment of the championship’s power unit manufacturers, confirming that no additional homologation concessions will be granted. Meanwhile, discussions are already underway over potential changes to the ADUO regulations for 2027.
The latest findings underline the challenges Ferrari continues to face in reducing its power unit deficit. Although both the Scuderia and Honda have introduced engine developments using the opportunities provided by the FIA, the third monitoring period has not resulted in any changes to the homologation allowances previously assigned to manufacturers. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis nevertheless believes the system is producing positive results, while acknowledging that its methodology must continue evolving based on the lessons learned during its first season.
FIA confirms Ferrari engine deficit remains above 4% after latest ADUO assessment
The FIA has concluded the third evaluation period of its ADUO mechanism, introduced under the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations to help power unit manufacturers with less competitive internal combustion engines reduce their performance deficit to the leading manufacturers.
The third monitoring window covered seven Grands Prix, beginning with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and ending with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin.
Although the relative performance levels of the internal combustion engines changed during this period, partly because of upgrades introduced by Ferrari and Honda under the ADUO framework, the latest assessment has not produced any concrete changes to the manufacturers’ existing homologation concessions.
Under the regulations, manufacturers whose internal combustion engines are more than 2% behind the leading unit, currently Red Bull’s, qualify for additional dyno testing hours, increased financial allowances for development and one additional engine homologation during the season.
Manufacturers with a deficit exceeding 4% receive more favourable conditions, including additional development resources and two homologation opportunities during the championship. The regulations also establish further performance bands at 6%, 8% and 10%, with progressively greater allowances depending on the scale of the deficit.
These concessions allow eligible manufacturers to introduce updated engines beyond the normal development restrictions, giving those further behind an opportunity to recover some of their lost competitiveness.
The FIA’s previous ADUO engine performance assessment had already established Red Bull as the reference manufacturer, with Ferrari among those qualifying for additional development opportunities.
Ferrari has already used both FIA engine upgrade opportunities in 2026
Ferrari introduced its first updated power unit at the Austrian Grand Prix, taking advantage of the development opportunities permitted under the ADUO regulations.
The Scuderia subsequently brought another upgraded engine to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, using its second and final homologation opportunity granted by the FIA during the 2026 season.
These developments formed part of Ferrari’s effort to address the performance deficit of its internal combustion engine and gradually close the gap to the leading manufacturers.
The Maranello team had already outlined its plans to improve performance through the upgraded 067/6 power unit introduced in Austria, with the programme focused on extracting greater performance from the new engine architecture.
It is important to note that the FIA does not publicly identify the exact ADUO performance band occupied by each manufacturer. For intellectual property reasons, the governing body communicates only the number of homologation opportunities granted.
Consequently, the unchanged homologation allowances do not necessarily mean that Ferrari or Honda have remained in precisely the same performance bands throughout the season. Either manufacturer could have moved into a different category after introducing its upgrades, potentially receiving fewer additional development funds or dyno testing hours.
However, the overall deficit relative to the leading internal combustion engine remains above 4%, maintaining eligibility for the greater number of homologation opportunities available under the regulations for future development. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had already acknowledged in September that the Italian team did not expect to completely eliminate its deficit to Red Bull and Mercedes during the 2026 season, even with the additional opportunities provided by ADUO.
While the FIA makes additional development resources available, introducing a new engine specification remains expensive. The costs extend beyond manufacturing the individual components and include the need to produce and manage sufficient replacement units and spare parts.
For Ferrari, the priority was therefore not necessarily to reach parity with the leading manufacturers immediately, but to begin reducing the performance deficit before the winter break.
The challenges surrounding the Scuderia’s engine development have also raised broader questions about Ferrari’s long-standing power unit performance deficit and the technical decisions made during the preparation of the 2026 regulations.
Honda introduces major engine changes while Audi focuses on 2027
Honda, currently the least competitive power unit manufacturer on the grid, has also taken advantage of the ADUO framework to introduce substantial developments during the season.
The Japanese manufacturer brought a significant upgrade to Zandvoort, revising the combustion chamber in an attempt to extract additional power. This represented its first homologation opportunity under the FIA’s additional development system.
Honda had initially planned to avoid introducing further upgrades during the remainder of the championship. However, the extensive modifications to the engine also affected its driveability, prompting the manufacturer to undertake additional work on the turbocharger.
Ferrari and Honda have been the only two manufacturers to benefit from ADUO homologation opportunities during the latest monitoring period. Audi, meanwhile, adopted a different approach. Having already introduced its first engine upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, the German manufacturer decided against bringing further developments during the remainder of the 2026 season.
Instead, Audi has been directing its resources towards its 2027 power unit project, prioritising preparations for the following championship rather than introducing additional modifications to its current engine.
Mercedes could introduce another engine upgrade before the end of 2026
Mercedes remains in a different position under the ADUO regulations. Its internal combustion engine is more than 2% behind Red Bull’s benchmark, meaning the manufacturer is eligible to introduce an additional upgrade before the end of the 2026 season.
However, Mercedes has not yet taken advantage of that opportunity. The planned developments are expected to focus primarily on the turbocharger, with a possible introduction at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Such a move would allow Mercedes to collect useful data before the winter development period.
Alternatively, the manufacturer could postpone the upgrade until the winter following reliability problems encountered during dyno testing.
The decision will therefore depend partly on whether the updated components can be introduced with sufficient confidence in their reliability and performance.
FIA considers changes to ADUO regulations for the 2027 Formula 1 season
While manufacturers continue working to improve their power units under the existing rules, discussions are already taking place behind the scenes about potential modifications to the ADUO system for 2027.
The mechanism was originally designed to assess only the performance of the internal combustion engine, rather than the complete power unit.
This distinction is particularly important under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which place considerable emphasis on electrical performance. Manufacturers remain free to develop the electrical side of their power units, which represents one of the most important areas of competition under the new technical framework.
Before the start of the current regulatory cycle, the FIA had considered introducing additional parameters to create a more sophisticated engine performance assessment methodology. However, the power unit manufacturers preferred to maintain a simpler evaluation system, limiting the number of variables included in the calculations.
This decision subsequently contributed to differences of opinion during the season, particularly following the conclusion of the first ADUO assessment period. The disagreements encouraged the FIA and the manufacturers to begin discussing possible refinements to the methodology for 2027.
These proposals are expected to be discussed at the next Formula 1 Commission meeting in November, potentially shaping how engine performance differences and development concessions are assessed in future seasons.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has confirmed that the governing body intends to continue developing the mechanism while maintaining confidence in its current findings: “Based on the quality of the data and the robustness of the assessment process, we are confident in the results obtained and the conclusions reached.”
The FIA official also emphasised that the experience gained during the first year of implementation had strengthened the governing body’s belief in the overall concept.
“The first year of implementation has also reinforced our belief that the ADUO concept is the right one for Formula 1. However, it is important that the system continues to evolve to ensure that it remains efficient, relevant and fit for purpose. To this end, we have worked closely with the power unit manufacturers and teams to assess refinements to the methodology that can support the continued effectiveness of ADUO in the coming seasons,” Nikolas Tombazis added.
The potential revisions could therefore represent an important development for Ferrari and the other manufacturers attempting to reduce their engine performance deficits.
For the Scuderia, the latest FIA assessment confirms that its existing ADUO homologation concessions remain unchanged despite the upgrades introduced in Austria and Italy. The challenge now is to continue narrowing the gap to Red Bull while the governing body and manufacturers evaluate how the development system should operate from 2027 onwards.
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