Red Bull engine tops ADUO rankings for 2026 F1 season

Williams technical director James Vowles said he was not surprised that Red Bull's power unit leads the FIA's ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) index after the first five Grand Prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season. He noted a performance gap of over 2 % on Mercedes and more than 4 % on Ferrari, while stressing that ADUO measures only the internal‑combustion component of the power unit.

The ADUO system evaluates engine ICE performance and awards financial development allowances to manufacturers that fall behind, but it is not a balance‑of‑performance tool, FIA single‑seater director Nikolas Tombazis explained. The mechanism aims to give lagging engines extra budget to close the gap without altering fuel or ballast allowances.