FIA explains ADUO: everything you need to know about engine upgrades

FIA, the ADUO arrives Formula 1 enthusiasts are familiarizing themselves with four letters that have entered, and will increasingly enter, automotive jargon, at least with the current generation of power units. This is the ADUO, an English acronym for “Additional development and update opportunities”, and is a mechanism that allows engine engineers in difficulty to return to work on the thermal engine, and therefore to update their power unit. No later than two weeks after the Canadian GP, ​​the FIA ​​will make official which power unit suppliers will benefit from the extra hours on the dyno, and will do the same after the Hungaroring and Mexico City weekends. A few minutes ago the Federation also published a sort of “FAQ” on the ADUO, in order to make the action and effects of this mechanism more understandable. The statement explains that the FIA ​​will monitor the performance of each combustion engine and calculate a performance index based on a number of factors, including torque, engine top speed, MGU-K power and a weighting to take into account the sensitivity of the power to the measured lap time. Whoever has a combustion engine with a delay of at least 2% compared to the one with the best performance will obtain the ADUO. As FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explained, the mechanism will not balance performance: “It is a Cost Cap relief mechanism, where a power unit manufacturer that meets the ADUO criteria has the opportunity to develop its own engine through cost relief. A manufacturer will still have to make the best engine to win. It is not a magic solution, but a leeway to develop the power unit.” This margin is defined by the technical regulation, which explains that any builder who is 2% to 4% late will receive benefits of up to $3 million. From 4% to 6% the relief goes up to 4.65 million dollars, from 6% to 8% up to 6.35 million dollars, from 8% to 10% up to 8 million dollars. If there is a delay of at least 10% compared to the best ICE, the engineer in question will be able to enjoy 11 million dollars and, for the 2026 season only, an extra up to 8 million dollars for future periods to support development activities. In terms of number of updates, engine manufacturers in the “2-4% range” will be entitled to an update of the power unit approved in the current season and a further update in the following season. All the others, i.e. the engineers who will have at least 4% delay from the reference, will be entitled to two updates in the current season and another two in the following season. Power unit manufacturers who have not been granted the ADUO after the first two FIA assessments of a championship will not be able to benefit from it after the final period of the same season. Engine manufacturers will have to respect the FIA’s indications on the times in which to bring the updates: the latter, in fact, are not cumulative, they cannot be “stored” for the following season and those who do not exploit them according to the required times will simply lose them. However, if an engineer who is at least 4% behind after Canada is still above this threshold after the first assessment in 2027, in the next championship he will be able to take advantage of four updates (the two he received in 2026 but designed for 2027 and the two he will have next year for the current season). As for the permitted upgrades, it will be possible to modify a wide variety of components even if the parameter for the ADUO remains ICE. Areas of work include some elements of the internal combustion engine, the engine exhaust system, the turbocharger, wastegate exhausts, electrical components, sensors mounted on the internal combustion engine or exhaust, the ERS and related cooling systems, the MGU-K and the car’s control electronics, as well as some hydraulic functions, fluids and ballast.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-14 02:59:38