Formula 1 may face a new point of tension with the use of ADUO in 2026, and Mercedes has already expressed concern about the impact of the measure. Toto Wolff, head of the team, warned that the mechanism, created to help struggling power unit manufacturers, should not be used to allow competitors to gain a competitive advantage.
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ADUO, an acronym for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities, was included in the regulations as a kind of safety net for power unit manufacturers who fall behind at the start of the new technical cycle. The idea is to allow these teams to close the gap after a detailed performance analysis.
According to the FIA, the objective is to offer more development opportunities for manufacturers who are significantly behind their competitors. The first round of possible changes will occur after the sixth round of the season, which, with the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has become the Monaco GP. New evaluations are also planned after rounds twelve and eighteen.
Possible concessions include changes to power unit homologation, greater flexibility within the budget cap, and more dynamometer development hours. Although the rule was designed to help those with inferior performance, Wolff emphasized that any decision needs to be made carefully.
“The principle of ADUO was to allow teams that were behind in terms of power unit to catch up with the others, but not to overtake them,” said the Mercedes boss. He also warned that any decision could have a significant impact on performance and the championship if not made with precision and transparency.
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Wolff also emphasized the importance of avoiding strategies that exploit the rule: “It must be made clear that this kind of game has no place here. The FIA needs to act with the correct spirit,” he said. The executive also stated that, in his view, only one manufacturer faces clear difficulties, while the others are at similar levels.
Even with this concern, Wolff stated that he is not worried about a specific competitor, such as Ferrari, but emphasized that all teams are closely monitoring the decisions: “We are all monitoring how these decisions will be made. We have precise data on the performance of the power units,” he added.
Finally, the Mercedes boss reinforced that sporting integrity must be a priority: “ADUO was conceived as a recovery mechanism, not as a way to overcome competitors. We don’t want to see a team receiving help and suddenly jumping ahead of another,” he concluded.
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