Strategy

Ferrari Targets Austrian GP for ADUO Power Unit and Shell Fuel Debut

Answer

Confirmed

Ferrari is awaiting FIA approval to introduce the third version of its 067/6 power unit at the Austrian Grand Prix, under the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) framework. The update advances the team's steel-alloy cylinder head concept and pairs it with a new Shell fuel blend, with the combined package aimed at reducing Ferrari's horsepower deficit to the benchmark Red Bull power unit.

Ferrari awaits FIA green light for power unit step in Styria

Ferrari is waiting for official approval from the FIA before introducing its upgraded Formula 1 engine, provisionally as early as the Austrian Grand Prix.

The team will ship the third version of its 067/6 power unit to Spielberg, featuring modifications allowed under the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) framework, and will run it pending FIA approval. ^[1]

The ADUO framework and why Ferrari qualifies

As part of the ADUO system, the FIA judged the pecking order of the 2026 power unit manufacturers, with Sky Sports News having seen the document released to teams earlier this month, confirming that each manufacturer aside from Red Bull will be allowed to make engine upgrades this season. ^[2] Mercedes, deemed more than two per cent behind Red Bull's power unit, will receive one engine upgrade this year, while Ferrari, Audi and Honda will be given two upgrades as they are judged to be more than four per cent adrift of Red Bull. ^[2]

The first step is scheduled for the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June, where Ferrari will introduce the third engine of the season; the second step follows in September during their home race at Monza, where the fourth engine change will coincide with the second permitted ADUO upgrade. ^[3]

Technical details: steel alloy, higher temperatures, new Shell fuel

The updated power unit pushes the concept of its steel-alloy cylinder head even further; using a steel alloy rather than aluminium for the cylinder head allows combustion chamber temperatures to be significantly higher than usual, since with aluminium, structural failures would have been inevitable at the same temperatures. ^[1] From the Austrian Grand Prix onward, that thermal limit is set to be pushed beyond 115 degrees Celsius, and the higher temperature and pressure inside the combustion chamber will allow a greater proportion of fuel particles to burn, producing a more efficient combustion process and more mechanical work from the same energy. ^[1]

Combined with a new Shell fuel developed specifically for this configuration, the increase in power is expected to help reduce the horsepower deficit. ^[1] Thanks to the internal combustion engine upgrade, Ferrari's power unit is expected to gain around five horsepower; additionally, the Shell fuel formulation has been revised and optimised for the ADUO 1 engine. ^[5]

Regulatory backdrop: FIA still to confirm findings publicly

The FIA has yet to officially confirm the results, as the governing body is understood to be assessing its findings and holding discussions with all teams, including the power unit manufacturers, ahead of next weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. ^[2] Red Bull elected to request a review of the procedure to further verify the evaluation methods, with the Milton Keynes-based team having been named the benchmark manufacturer. ^[2]

:::analysis Austria is a power-sensitive circuit; the combination of the steel-alloy cylinder head running hotter intercooler air and a bespoke Shell fuel blend represents a coherent, incremental strategy rather than a wholesale redesign. A five-horsepower gain from ADUO 1 alone would be modest against a gap reported at more than four per cent, but it opens the door to ADUO 2 at Monza, where the deficit is expected to be more meaningfully addressed. The timing also puts additional pressure on a Red Bull team that, as the benchmark manufacturer, has no equivalent upgrade pathway available to it this season. :::

Context: Hamilton's Barcelona win and what comes next

Lewis Hamilton's victory in Barcelona greatly boosted morale within the Maranello team, which hopes to confirm the SF-26's step forward in performance in Styria, also aided by a second aerodynamic upgrade package of the season following the one introduced in Miami. ^[1] The upcoming tracks in Austria, Great Britain and Belgium are extremely demanding on the engine and require high energy management. ^[3] Although Ferrari awaits FIA confirmation, the team plans to ship the updated power unit to Spielberg and run it once approval is granted. ^[1]