The FIA has confirmed that Red Bull will miss out on development tokens after the first two ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) periods for Formula 1 power units. In the latest evaluation released on Wednesday (26 Aug), the Red Bull-Ford engine is deemed the strongest on the grid.
According to the governing body's analysis, which covers all races from the Melbourne season opener to round 11 at Budapest, the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine is the benchmark. Mercedes is 2-4% down on power, while Audi, Ferrari, and Honda are more than 4% adrift.
Honda's new powertrain, introduced at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, was not taken into account. After the first quarter of the 2026 season, Mercedes had been granted one additional homologation for 2026 and 2027 each, while Audi, Ferrari, and Honda received two each for this year and next year. This consists of additional cost cap allowance and further dyno tests.
However, no official announcement had been made. While the FIA did confirm the ADUO ranking today, no additional homologations have been awarded this time. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis emphasized the thoroughness of the analysis.
"The FIA has undertaken thorough and exhaustive analysis as part of our ADUO review process," said Tombazis. "With the release of the findings of Period 2, we are confident that, based on the quality of the data, its analysis is incredibly robust, giving us a high level of confidence in our findings. We also have to respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of the teams and their power unit manufacturers in disseminating any details from the findings. This is the first year of ADUO, so naturally there are areas which we may evolve over time, in discussion with all the PU manufacturers."
This decision impacts the competitive balance of the 2026 season, as Red Bull remains the benchmark for rivals. With no additional tokens for other manufacturers, the performance gap could persist, though internal development remains possible. This season, Max Verstappen and his team continue to leverage the engine advantage to compete at the front.
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