FIA reveals outcome of third-quarter power unit assessment: Red Bull still without ADUO
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The FIA provided an update on the current power unit performance rankings on Tuesday. It revealed that no manufacturer had moved far enough ahead of Red Bull for the team to qualify for ADUO. Red Bull will not be able to upgrade its hardware until after the sixth race of next season at the earliest.
When assessing power unit performance, it is important to distinguish between two terms: the internal combustion engine and the power unit. The power unit comprises all components, including the internal combustion engine, MGU-K, battery and control electronics. However, the current performance measurement rules completely disregard the significant contribution of the electrical elements when determining the rankings, considering only the internal combustion engine.
As a result, Red Bull has been identified as the strongest manufacturer this season, even though only its internal combustion engine is the most powerful, rather than its power unit as a whole. Its rivals were given the opportunity to upgrade their hardware through ADUO after just the first quarter. They were also allowed to increase their engine development budgets and dyno hours.
That would not be a problem if those upgrades were reflected in the rankings for the following period. The current rules have one major weakness. While the FIA only considers the internal combustion engine when assessing performance, ADUO upgrades are permitted across the entire power unit, including the MGU-K and battery. In theory, this could mean that the other manufacturers never overtake Red Bull in the FIA rankings; all they need to do is avoid upgrading their internal combustion engines.
However, that approach is not optimal, and after the summer break we saw upgrades that also improved internal combustion engine performance — specifically from Honda and Ferrari. In its latest press release, the FIA says these upgrades have also brought about some changes in the relative performance of the individual power units.
“For the third period, the relative performance gaps to the leading ICE evolved,” the FIA wrote. “These changes did not result in any additional homologations being granted to the Power Unit Manufacturers. Due to the confidential nature of this information, no further details on Power Unit performance index measurements will be communicated.”
The current rankings are therefore not officially known. However, we can conclude that nobody has moved more than two per cent ahead of Red Bull in terms of power — if anyone has overtaken it at all. Had that happened, Red Bull would also have been given the opportunity to upgrade its hardware under ADUO.
As a reminder, the internal combustion engine performance rankings after the first quarter were as follows:
- Red Bull – most powerful internal combustion engine
- Mercedes – two to four per cent behind (1x ADUO for 2026, 1x ADUO for 2027)
- Audi, Ferrari, Honda – more than four per cent behind (2x ADUO for 2026, 2x ADUO for 2027)
The FIA will next assess internal combustion engine performance over the period from the Bahrain Grand Prix to the 2027 Miami Grand Prix. Red Bull will be hoping someone finally overtakes it over the winter break so that it, too, can upgrade the electrical elements of its power unit. When that finally happens, it could propel Red Bull forwards. Its engine department has more than a year to identify and unlock the potential of its engine concept. It will introduce all those ideas at once.
“The FIA has undertaken extensive analysis as part of the review of ADUO this year. Based on the quality of the data and the robustness of the assessment process, we are confident in our findings and the conclusions reached,” said FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis. “The first year of implementation has also reinforced our belief that the ADUO concept is the right one for Formula 1.
Some changes are permissible, however, and even welcome. “However, it is important that the system continues to evolve to ensure it remains efficient, relevant and fit for purpose. To that end, we have been working closely with the Power Unit Manufacturers and teams to explore refinements to the methodology that will support the continued effectiveness of ADUO in future seasons.”
