The FIA has published the results of its second Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities evaluation, officially confirming Red Bull-Ford as Formula 1’s engine benchmark.
The governing body’s analysis covers all races from the Melbourne season opener through to round 11 at Budapest, spanning the majority of the 2026 campaign so far.
According to the findings, the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine is currently the most powerful unit in the field, ahead of all rival manufacturers.
Mercedes sits closest to the benchmark, with its power unit running between 2-4% down on Red Bull-Ford, while Audi, Ferrari and Honda are each more than 4% adrift.
Honda’s brand new powertrain, which made its debut at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, was not factored into the Period 2 analysis due to its late introduction.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis confirmed the findings, stating: “The FIA has undertaken thorough and exhaustive analysis as part of our ADUO review process.”
Tombazis added: “With the release of the findings of Period 2, we are confident that, based on the quality of the data, its analysis is incredibly robust, giving us a high level of confidence in our findings.”
He also acknowledged the sensitive nature of the data, noting: “We also have to respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of the teams and their power unit manufacturers in disseminating any details from the findings.”
Tombazis rounded out his comments by recognising that refinements to the ADUO process may follow, saying: “This is the first year of ADUO so naturally there are areas which we may evolve over time, in discussion with all the PU manufacturers.”
Following Period 1, Mercedes had been granted one additional homologation for both 2026 and 2027, while Audi, Ferrari and Honda each received two additional homologations for both years, covering extra cost cap allowance and further dyno tests.
No additional homologations have been awarded following the Period 2 review, meaning Red Bull-Ford continues to miss out on development opportunities afforded to its rivals.
Red Bull has been openly critical of the ADUO system, previously requesting a review of results following the Canadian Grand Prix, though that challenge proved unsuccessful.
A key criticism of ADUO is that it only measures internal combustion engine performance, ignoring other significant performance differentiators present in F1’s complex hybrid power units.
The irony of the situation is that Mercedes has widely been considered by many within the paddock to hold the overall power unit advantage, with Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies himself conceding the point after the Belgian Grand Prix.
“Toto is right. I also think that they have the most powerful power unit,” said Mekies, referring to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s own admission about his team’s straight-line advantage.
Mekies continued: “And certainly they had a sizeable advantage on the straight this weekend again. But it’s not the first weekend. They have an advantage on the straight most weekends and this weekend a bit more with the track sensitivity.”
The disconnect between the official ADUO classification and on-track reality has fuelled ongoing debate about whether the system is truly fit for purpose in its current form.