The all-new Formula One 2026 regulations were expected to herald an era where once again the power unit would become the most significant performance differentiator between the teams. Guru F1 car designer Adrian Newey observed back in January 2025: “I think there has to be a big chance that it’s an engine formula at the start,” reported Auto Motor und Sport.
He noted that such was the importance of their new powertrains that the chassis design rules had been modified to compensate for the extreme electrical power contribution. At the time, the FIA had no plans to allow those with inferior engines to catch up, and Newey suggested, “but there has to be a chance that one manufacturer will come out well on top and it will become a power unit-dominated regulation, at least to start with.”
Yet it is his less widely reported subsequent opinion which appears to have framed the ADUO approach to ensuring no one manufacturer dominates in terms of power. “And there’s a chance that if it’s on the combustion engine side of it, that somebody comes up with a dominant combustion engine, that will last through the length of the formula, because the way the regulations are written it’s quite difficult for people who are behind to catch up,” Newey concluded.
A Flawed Metric for Success
The manufacturers and the FIA agreed that engine power would be measured based on the internal combustion engine power only, and the first set of data was collected over the first five race weekends up to and including Canada. At the subsequent race weekend, the teams learned that the findings of F1’s governing body were that Red Bull Racing was the class of the field.
Despite winning every Grand Prix and one of the two Sprint races to date, Mercedes, along with the other manufacturers, was offered the opportunity to upgrade its power unit. Red Bull, while taking the compliment that they as the new kids on the block had done a better job than Mercedes and Ferrari, was miffed over the FIA’s findings and requested a review of the results.
Yet the FIA has stuck to its guns, believing its measurements are correct. Given that the power units are designed to allow a 50% contribution from both the hybrid and the internal combustion engine, it appears a nonsensical decision to measure just the ICE. Yet for once the FIA is not to blame; this sits with the manufacturers who insisted on this form of measurement against the advice of F1’s governing body.
Compromise in the Spring of 2025
The FIA originally proposed a more complex measurement procedure to determine which teams receive ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities). However, according to FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis, the power unit manufacturers collectively pushed back, arguing that the system must be kept as simple as possible.
As the debacle of the ADUO and Mercedes being allowed upgrades began to unfold in June, Tombazis was candid on how the decision over what to measure was made. “In the spring of 2025, quite long discussions with them [the manufacturers]. We offered whether we wanted to consider certain things like the turbo pressures, or the turbo diameters, or the operating of the plenum temperature, for example, and such like.
“The universal position by the PU manufacturers back then was that we should keep it simple. So the fact that it is the current horsepower measurement of the internal combustion has been appreciated right from the start.”
Not only did the manufacturers who insisted on the ridiculous mix of 50/50 power between the hybrid and the ICE force ruinous new powertrains on F1, but their intransigence over the mechanism by which teams behind on power should be allowed to catch up is also fatally flawed.
Gaming the System
The head of the Audi F1 programme and ex-engine engineer, Mattia Binotto, now suggests the ADUO system requires an overhaul and is open to the programme being gamed. “In my opinion, the limit has been that it has exclusively measured performance on the track. A car with an overall advantage can afford not to fully exploit the potential of its power unit,” Binotto claimed to Motorsport.com.
”It’s possible, for example, that Mercedes had an engine with superior potential, but had no need to push it to the limit because it already had an advantage thanks to the car. If that were the case, it could have also gained additional development margin.”
With Mercedes indicating they have no immediate plans to upgrade their ICE as allowed under the ADUO, Binotto is suggesting this may be the case because they are not running their existing unit at full power.
“This wasn’t the original intent of the ADUO: the goal was to help those who were actually falling behind, not to create situations in which the true potential of a power unit might be difficult to assess,” concludes the Audi boss.
Looking to 2030 and Beyond
The ADUO’s original objective was one of a safety net so that if a manufacturer fell a long way behind the others they would have an opportunity to catch up. And given that the regulations are set to be frozen, there would have been little room for this to occur, with any such disadvantage continuing for years.
There is already a performance catch-up allowance for F1 teams in terms of chassis and aerodynamics, where each six months the teams towards the lower end of the constructors’ championship are given more hours in the wind tunnel and on CFD than the team leading the title charge—which receives the least amount of these resources.
While Binotto’s call to overhaul the ADUO may well find favor with the likes of Red Bull Ford and Honda, it is unlikely that Mercedes will agree to such a proposition. Fortunately, in the new era of F1, it is not the customer teams who get to decide on these matters; there is a Power Unit Manufacturers forum which may be able to force through the necessary change.
Formula One is learning tough lessons in terms of the power it allowed the manufacturers to have over the creation of the much-hated 2026 V6 hybrid units, and the FIA must alone be the body which decides on the future of F1 power from 2030 onwards.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
