Even without receiving the benefits of ADUO, manufacturers will have the freedom to develop certain areas of the power units throughout the championship; understand what remains open for evolution.
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The creation of the ADUO system by the FIA gave the impression that only manufacturers covered by the mechanism would be allowed to develop their power units throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, this is not true.
Although the regulations establish a series of limitations after the initial homologation of the engines, several areas of the power units remain open for updates throughout the championship. This means that all manufacturers, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Honda, Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, and GM (which does not yet manufacture its engine), will have opportunities for evolution, regardless of whether they receive the extra benefits provided by ADUO.
The difference lies precisely in the scope of these updates. While manufacturers included in the program will be able to work on additional areas considered more sensitive for performance, the others still have a relevant list of components that can be developed normally.
What can all manufacturers update?
-Turbocharger
– Plenum (sealed air chamber/reservoir located above the engine, just after the main air intake)
– Intake systems
– Some specific areas of the hybrid system provided for in the regulations
– Certain systems associated with the power unit authorized by the FIA
– Software strategies and calibrations within regulatory limits
– Components covered by future homologations provided for by the regulations
These permissions show that Formula 1 has not adopted a complete freeze on engines for the new technical cycle. On the contrary, the FIA sought to create a balance between cost control and development freedom.
The turbocharger, for example, remains an important area of evolution. Efficiency improvements can generate performance gains, reduce energy losses, and improve the utilization of the power produced by the power unit.
Intake systems also remain among the components that can receive updates. Changes in this area can directly influence combustion efficiency and how the engine delivers performance over a lap.
Another constant area of work for manufacturers is management software. Even with several limitations imposed by the regulations, manufacturers continue developing energy control strategies, energy recovery, and hybrid system management.
Read more F1 2026: after all, what can a manufacturer with ADUO update in the engine?
What remains restricted without ADUO?
The main limitations remain focused on the most sensitive components of the power unit.
Without access to ADUO, manufacturers cannot freely modify several areas of the internal combustion engine and important parts of the hybrid assembly after homologation.
Among the components that remain protected by the rules are:
– Main block of the internal combustion engine (ICE)
– Various homologated internal engine components
– Oil and water circulation systems protected by homologation
– Parts of the battery
– Specific areas of the MGU-K
– Structural elements of the power unit
It is precisely at this point that ADUO makes a difference, allowing manufacturers at a technical disadvantage to access areas that would normally remain frozen.
Why is this important?
The existence of these areas open to development shows that the FIA does not intend to completely prevent engine evolution during the regulatory cycle starting in 2026.
The goal is to avoid a cost escalation similar to that observed in other eras of Formula 1, but without eliminating manufacturers’ ability to fix performance, reliability, or efficiency issues identified throughout the season.
In practice, all manufacturers will continue developing their power units during the championship. The difference is that those covered by ADUO will have access to additional tools to accelerate performance recovery if they start the regulatory cycle at a significant disadvantage.
Therefore, even without the benefit granted by the FIA, Formula 1 engines will continue evolving over the coming years, just within much more controlled limits than those seen in previous regulations.
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