Mercedes Delays Planned ADUO Engine Upgrade at COTA
Mercedes has postponed its ADUO power unit upgrade from the United States Grand Prix. The unit is not ready. The earliest likely introduction is now the Brazilian Grand Prix. The team will introduce the upgrade only when satisfied it delivers a genuine performance step. George Russell will incur an additional grid penalty upon its debut.
Mercedes Delays ADUO Upgrade
Mercedes has postponed its planned ADUO power unit upgrade from the United States Grand Prix. The upgraded unit is not ready. The earliest likely introduction is now the Brazilian Grand Prix.[1]
The upgrade was initially scheduled for Austin; plans were pushed back because the power unit remains incomplete and will also miss the Mexican Grand Prix. The Brazilian Grand Prix concludes the latest triple-header and represents the probable first opportunity.[2]
Penalty Implications
George Russell will take another grid penalty whenever the ADUO engine enters his car. He already incurred one penalty in Singapore following an engine failure at Sepang.[1]
Chassis Work Continues
Mercedes will run the major chassis upgrade first introduced at Sepang on both cars from FP1 in Austin. The team split specifications between cars in Singapore to gather data.[2]
Related reading
- [1]Mercedes rolls back ADUO engine debut (the-race). Accessed 2026-10-23.
- [2]Everything we learned on day one of F1's 2026 US GP (the-race). Accessed 2026-10-23.