Controversial FIA engine rule: No concessions for Red Bull-Ford in 2027

By the end of August 2026, it was clear to the rule-makers at the World Motor Sport Federation: Red Bull-Ford had the most powerful internal combustion engine. For this reason, Ferrari’s rivals – Mercedes, Honda and Audi – were permitted to develop their internal combustion engines, whilst Red Bull-Ford were not, all within the framework of the so-called ADUO.

ADUO stands for ‘Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities’. ADUO is designed to ensure that engine manufacturers who are lagging behind are given a chance to catch up during the season. Manufacturers are granted development leeway if they are at least two per cent behind in terms of their internal combustion engine performance.

On 10 November, the FIA published the results for the third ADUO phase (World Championship rounds 12 to 18, i.e. from the Netherlands to the USA). It concluded that no additional homologations would be permitted for anyone.

This also means that Red Bull Powertrains/Ford will once again be unable to carry out further development for 2027 under the ADUO framework.

As a reminder: in the last assessment of this kind, Mercedes was between 2 and 4 per cent behind the class leader, Red Bull Powertrains, in terms of performance; Ferrari, Audi and Honda were more than 4 per cent behind.

The fundamental problem remains unresolved: Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has quite rightly criticised the fact that ADUO only addresses the performance of the internal combustion engine (approx. 530 PS). The contribution of the electric system is disregarded. It is widely accepted within the industry that Mercedes has the most powerful overall package.

The next ADUO assessment will not take place until early summer 2027, with the World Championship races from Bahrain to Miami serving as the benchmark.