FIA ADUO engine upgrades opened a door for Ferrari to fight for wins
- Nicole Nolte
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
Tifosi, this one's for you...
While a lot of the attention surrounding Formula 1's new ADUO system has focused on Mercedes receiving additional development opportunities, and how Redbull somehow has the best “engine”, Ferrari may actually be the manufacturer that benefits the most.
Hear me out…
The FIA says that Ferrari is more than 4% behind the benchmark engine.
And under the FIA's ADUO engine upgrades, that unlocks the maximum number of upgrade opportunities currently available.
It could be more than 4%
The FIA hasn't published the exact figures behind its assessment.
All we know is that Ferrari falls into the group of manufacturers that are more than 4% behind Red Bull Powertrains.
That doesn't necessarily mean Ferrari is exactly 4% behind; it could actually be way more.
The FIA just places manufacturers into categories instead of revealing the exact numbers.
But what it does tell us is that Ferrari's combustion engine deficit is large enough to qualify for the highest level of support currently available under the ADUO system.
What does Ferrari actually receive from the FIA ADUO engine upgrades?
Because Ferrari has been classified as more than 4% behind, it receives:
Two engine upgrade opportunities in 2026
Two engine upgrade opportunities in 2027
Additional development budget
More engine testing time to develop and refine its upgrades
That's a lot more freedom than Red Bull receives.
Ferrari has been given more opportunities to improve than almost anyone else on the grid.
Does that mean Ferrari can suddenly catch Mercedes?
Not quite...
Yes, they have been given the opportunity, but it’s up to them to turn it into performance.
Ferrari still needs to identify where it's losing ground.
Then it needs to design solutions, manufacture components, test them and make sure they are reliable enough to race.
That process can take months.
Lewis Hamilton described it as an eight-to-ten-month project rather than something that can be solved over a single race weekend.
Why Ferrari is exactly the team ADUO was designed for
The FIA introduced ADUO because it wanted to avoid another situation where manufacturers got stuck with an early disadvantage for years.
In many ways, Ferrari is the perfect example of why the system exists.
Under previous regulations, a manufacturer that started behind could spend seasons trying to recover.
Now there is a way to have a comeback.
The system isn't guaranteeing Ferrari success, but it IS giving Ferrari something that manufacturers often haven't had in previous engine eras: a realistic opportunity to fight back.
Whether the ADUO advantage succeeds or fails will now depend on Ferrari...
Comments