Ferrari's First ADUO Engine Upgrade Set to Arrive at the Red Bull Ring

Ferrari's ADUO upgrade heads to Spielberg

Ferrari is set to introduce its first power unit upgrade of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Austrian Grand Prix on 28 June, using the FIA's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) mechanism to claw back performance against the field. ^[1] The decision follows the FIA's formal assessment of the 2026 engine pecking order, which designated the Red Bull Powertrains Ford unit as the benchmark internal combustion engine. ^[2]

What the ADUO ruling means for Ferrari

Under the ADUO framework, manufacturers whose power unit trails the benchmark by more than four per cent are permitted two additional homologation upgrades during the current season and two more in 2027. ^[1] Sky Sports News confirmed it had seen the relevant FIA document, which placed Ferrari, Audi, and Honda in that category, all judged to be more than four per cent adrift of the Red Bull benchmark. ^[1] Mercedes, assessed as more than two per cent but less than four per cent behind, was granted one upgrade for 2026 and one for 2027, while Red Bull itself receives no additional development allowance as the benchmark manufacturer. ^[2]

Two-phase upgrade programme

RacingNews365 reports that Ferrari's first step is scheduled for the Austrian Grand Prix, where the team will introduce a new internal combustion engine as the third power unit of its 2026 campaign. ^[3] A second, more substantial step is planned for Monza in September, timed to coincide with Ferrari's fourth engine change of the season. ^[3]

According to Motorsport.com Italy, the Austrian upgrade centres on a miniaturized intercooler and targets raising inlet air temperatures to between 110 and 115 degrees Celsius, pushing further along Ferrari's distinctive high-temperature combustion philosophy rather than abandoning it. ^[4] The same report notes the objective is to halve the power gap to the reference unit with this first package, leaving any remaining deficit to be addressed at Monza. ^[4]

Complementing the mechanical changes, Shell has also revised its fuel formulation specifically for the updated 067/6 power unit. ^[5]

Context: Barcelona momentum

The upgrade arrives one week after Lewis Hamilton's victory at the Madrid Spanish Grand Prix, which ended a long winless run for the Scuderia and demonstrated the SF-26's aerodynamic progress. ^[5] Both Ferrari drivers had repeatedly highlighted the car's straight-line deficit through the first half of the season, making the power unit the clearest remaining gap to address. ^[6]

:::analysis The Red Bull Ring's layout, with two long straights feeding into the tight hairpin at Turn 3 and the fast right-hander at Turn 9, has historically punished cars short on top-end power. If the ADUO upgrade delivers even half of its projected gains, Ferrari's competitive picture at Spielberg could look meaningfully different from what the raw pre-season data suggested. The more cautious read is that a five-to-ten horsepower gain, while welcome, is unlikely to swing qualifying head-to-head results against Mercedes at a circuit where raw power is at a premium. The real prize is Monza, where the second, larger ADUO step is timed to hit Ferrari's home race on one of the most power-sensitive tracks on the calendar. :::

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