The final review changes nothing
The FIA confirmed on Tuesday that the third and last review of the 2026 season has not unlocked any new engine upgrades. The assessment covered races 12 to 18, from Hungary to the United States. The governing body said the performance gaps to the strongest engine “evolved” over that stretch, but not enough to trigger additional homologations for any manufacturer.
The mechanism at stake is the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities scheme, known as ADUO. It was introduced alongside the all-new 2026 power units and lets trailing manufacturers catch up. Only the internal combustion engine is measured, which is one part of the overall power unit.
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How the allowances were split
The first review, covering the opening five races, ranked Red Bull’s engine as the best. That surprised plenty of people in the paddock, because Mercedes had won all five of those races and were widely seen as the benchmark. Mercedes, with a deficit of 2 to 4 per cent, received one upgrade for this season and another for 2027. Ferrari, Audi and Honda were judged more than 4 per cent adrift and were each given two upgrades for this year and two for next.
The second review also added nothing, and now the third has done the same. Because the FIA keeps the numbers confidential, the only reading available is a rough one. Red Bull have not slipped two per cent behind any rival, and Mercedes have not dropped beyond four per cent from the front.
What it means for the grid
Mercedes still have not spent their 2026 upgrade, which tells its own story after they wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship in Brazil on Sunday, a week after Kimi Antonelli secured the drivers’ title. Ferrari have talked about a power deficit all year, and Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about it. The picture is unlikely to shift before the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 20 to 22.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said the organisation is confident in its findings and still believes ADUO is the right concept. He added that the system needs to keep evolving, and that talks with manufacturers and teams on refining the methodology for future seasons are already under way.
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