The ranking of internal combustion engines
After months of mysteries and rumors, last August 26 the FIA finally published the official data concerning the first two periods of the ADUO, the mechanism provided by the technical regulations introduced this year that allows extra developments for Power Unit manufacturers with the less performing internal combustion engine (ICE).
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The ranking, as is known, saw the Red Bull engine outperform the Mercedes one, which has a gap between 2 and 4%. Audi, Ferrari, and Honda instead pay a gap greater than 4%. Based on these data, the ‘aids’ granted to the various engine manufacturers were defined: Mercedes will have one development token for 2026 and one for 2027, while all other manufacturers will have two tokens for this year and the same for next year. Red Bull, on the other hand, will not be able to develop its power unit.
Numbers difficult to reconcile
We know that the ADUO only measures the performance of the thermal component within a power unit and that the teams themselves – before the start of the World Championship – opposed more complicated but also more complete measurements regarding the performance of the different engines; yet the result of this ranking still leaves a strange feeling – not to say worse – if you look at the results provided by the track in this first half of the World Championship. 10 of the 12 races held so far have been won by Mercedes-powered cars, with Ferrari taking the remaining two victories. Not only that: statistics show that Mercedes-powered cars have led 605 race laps (for a total of 2872 km), against 132 Ferrari laps (718 km) and just 8 Red Bull laps (36 km).
It is true that Mercedes has eight cars to count on, against Ferrari’s six, Red Bull’s four, and two each for Honda and Audi, but the disproportion in the numbers is still evident. The FIA obviously did its calculations and there is no reason to believe that, according to the analysis method adopted by the federation, the best ICE is the one from Milton Keynes; however, for the common sense of the fan and enthusiast, it remains difficult to understand and accept how an engine that has led over 2800 km can benefit from development aid while those who have been in front for less than 40 km are considered the absolute reference of the category. But that’s the current situation.
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