The first recovery opportunity for power units
When Formula 1 thought about the new regulations for the 2026 season, the choice emerged to create four development windows for the power units. The system, called ADUO – translatable as “additional developments and development opportunities” – was designed to favor the recovery of struggling engine manufacturers and therefore to reduce large differences between power units, which often characterize the start of a new regulatory cycle.
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The ADUO in the 2026 season, originally composed of 24 Grands Prix, was designed to trigger after race 6 (Miami, May 3), race 12 (Belgium, July 19), race 18 (Singapore, October 11), and race 24 (Abu Dhabi, December 6).
With the more than likely and now imminent cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, the calendar would be reduced to 22 Grands Prix, and there were questions about how the FIA would handle the ADUO.
What the FIA will do with the ADUO
Without Sakhir and Jeddah, the sixth race on the calendar would therefore become Monte Carlo on June 7, more than a month after Miami.
In these hours, however – as anticipated by The Race – the FIA is discussing with the teams to leave the ADUO windows unchanged, with the first one therefore opening after the Miami race.
Fewer races of advantage for Mercedes?
This would therefore be good news for Mercedes’ rival engine manufacturers, as they would not have to wait 6 actual races, but only 4 to be able to introduce developments at the power unit level.
And also for the issue of the compression ratio, nothing will change, the new measurement will still start on June 1st – which means after 5 GPs and not after 7 GPs – as originally planned.
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How the ADUO works
The FIA will evaluate if and to whom to assign the ADUO. Power unit manufacturers found to have a power output at least 2% lower (about 10 horsepower) than the highest-performing internal combustion engine will have an extra update in the current and subsequent seasons.
If the power deficit is greater than 4% (about 20 horsepower), the manufacturer would be entitled to two additional developments.
To discourage so-called “sandbagging,” or techniques to hide one’s real potential, the FIA will be able to revoke an already assigned ADUO at its discretion, as explicitly explained by article 4.a.
The Federation will measure the power of the power unit through torque sensors mounted on the rear half-shafts.
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