FIA expands ADUO, adds >10% tier and $19M relief for lagging PUs
Summary
The FIA amended its 2026 power unit regulations by expanding the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) regime to give lagging manufacturers extra dyno hours, upgrade windows and cost‑cap allowances to help them catch up. The change adds a new >10% performance‑deficit tier to the existing sliding scale.
Manufacturers measured more than 10% behind can access an additional $11.0 million, up from $8.0 million, plus 40 extra dyno hours, and they also receive a one‑off inaugural‑season $8.0 million allowance, creating a potential $19.0 million uplift that the FIA treats as a downward adjustment against the cost cap. The $8.0 million 2026 allowance is structured as a loan to be repaid across 2029–2031 under the updated rules.
The expanded ADUO remains a sliding scale tied to percentage deficits versus a benchmark, with stepped relief already in place for >2%, >4%, >6% and >8% shortfalls and the new column for >10%. Reporting windows were revised to reflect the lost Bahrain and Saudi rounds: period one now covers rounds 1–5, ending in Montreal, period two runs through round 11, Hungary, and the final period runs through round 18, Interlagos. The change was prompted by early reliability and vibration problems that harmed both performance and durability for Honda when supplying Aston Martin, and Honda is seen as a likely beneficiary.
Teams and rival manufacturers cautioned the system must guard against "leapfrogging," critics warned the move risks manufacturer‑specific assistance and a precedent for future entrants, and figures including Toto Wolff raised concerns about targeted remedies. Observers also noted the loan structure and the policy’s design raise questions about long‑term parity and whether similar interventions could recur for other manufacturers. The amendments do not alter results from FP1, Q3 or Race sessions and do not change current championship standings, and regulators said they may validate or tweak ADUO thresholds after initial on‑track internal combustion engine performance measurements.