FIA announces ADUO recipients as current engine benchmark confirmed

The FIA has announced that Red Bull-Ford Powertrains has held onto being the most powerful combustion engine in Formula 1, reporting its ADUO results from the Australian to Hungarian Grands Prix.

In an unchanged result from its Period 1 reporting, Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari and Honda will all receive varying levels of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities [ADUO], with the governing body having now revealed the extent for each power unit manufacturer.

FIA confirms Red Bull as F1 combustion engine benchmark as ADUO confirmed

Measurements were taken from each power unit’s internal combustion element, with Red Bull-Ford having been seen as the benchmark in that area.

The FIA reported that Mercedes’ engine sits 2-4 per cent down on Red Bull’s combustion power, with all of Audi, Ferrari and Honda sitting more than 4 per cent behind.

Since the last results were reported, Audi, Ferrari and Honda have all cashed in on one ADUO token to bring power unit developments.

Audi did so in the days following the first reporting period in Barcelona, Ferrari brought a power unit upgrade to Austria, while Honda brought a highly-publicised upgrade with it to Zandvoort at the weekend.

Because the results have brought similar results from its first and second reporting period, however, the FIA also confirmed no extra homologations have been granted as a result of this, though previous ADUO reports paint a fuller picture of what teams will be able to bring.

While internal combustion makes up just over half of what a power unit generates, Red Bull-Ford has been measured to remain in top spot in that area.

As a result, Mercedes will be awarded one additional homologation in 2026 and another in 2027, to look to bring upgrades.

Audi, Ferrari and Honda, meanwhile, will be able to bring two additional homologations in both 2026 and 2027 in order to improve their engines’ respective performance.

A third ADUO review period will come from the FIA up until the Mexico City Grand Prix, Round 18 of the F1 2026 season.

Red Bull had questioned its status as the most powerful combustion engine in Formula 1 after the first reporting period, with many having previously expected Mercedes to hold that distinction.

While an impressive result on paper, and confirmation of a powerful engine, it also means its power unit supply will not benefit from further upgrades in the same way as its rivals.

As for how the measurements are taken for the most powerful engines, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis revealed it was a result of the power unit manufacturers wanting to keep the process straightforward.

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“In spring of 2025, we had quite long discussions with them [the PUMs],” Tombazis told select media, including PlanetF1.com, earlier this year.

“We offered whether we wanted to consider certain things like the turbo pressures, or the turbo diameters, or the plenum temperature, for example.

“The universal position by the PU manufacturers back then was that we should keep it simple, so the fact that it is the current horsepower measurement of the internal combustion has been appreciated right from the start.

“I would be personally quite open to the idea of complicating the parameter bit. But that discussion was had back more than a year ago, and it was quite clear what it concluded.

“We did offer to put them in a slightly more complicated equation, and they were not keen to do that.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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