Audi First to Use FIA's New F1 Engine Upgrade System
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 24, 2026
Audi ADUO breakthrough
Audi became the first Formula 1 manufacturer to use the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, and it did so with an upgraded engine package at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The move put Audi at the front of a new development path meant to help engine suppliers close the performance gap in F1. The package included updated V6 power unit components, with new internal combustion engines and turbochargers among the changes. Audi fitted the revised parts to both cars, showing a clear commitment to the programme rather than a one-off test. The team prepared the package at its facilities in Ingolstadt and Hinwil, then brought it to the grid as the first official use of the FIA’s catch-up mechanism. The FIA confirmed the upgrade in its Friday power unit document, which made the development official and removed any doubt about its status. Audi’s target was drivability, not a dramatic jump in outright performance. That detail matters because it points to a controlled step in how the team wants the power unit to behave across a race distance, not a headline-grabbing spike on the stopwatch. The Barcelona package was the opening move in a broader power-unit plan, and more changes remain possible later in the season.
ADUO system
The ADUO system gives eligible engine manufacturers a structured way to develop their units and narrow the gap to the front of the field. Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi and Honda can work within that framework, while Red Bull stood out as the best engine performer in the first ADUO period and cannot tap into the same catch-up concessions that trail the other suppliers. That context gives Audi’s Barcelona upgrade added weight. It was not a cosmetic update or a small internal shuffle. It was the first real competitive use of a new FIA mechanism built for manufacturers that need extra development freedom. Audi’s approach also shows how the system is meant to work in practice. The company selected components that could improve how the power unit delivers power, then introduced them at a Grand Prix weekend with both cars carrying the changes. The emphasis on drivability suggests Audi wants smoother application of power, better control and a package that helps the whole car feel more usable for the drivers. That is a practical goal for a manufacturer still building its F1 identity. The broader picture is clear. The FIA created the system to keep power-unit competition closer, and Audi moved first to take advantage of it with a measured but official step forward. The team’s use of the Barcelona package sets a reference point for how other manufacturers may approach their own development windows.
Ferrari upgrade
Ferrari is next in line to use the same route, with its first ADUO-influenced engine upgrade set for the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. Ferrari power unit director Enrico Gualtieri described that update as relatively minor and put its value at less than 10 horsepower. The team plans to use its first token on a revised internal combustion engine, which gives the move a clear development purpose even if the gains are modest. Ferrari is treating that update as part of a longer programme rather than a single jump in performance. A more substantial step is planned after the summer break, and that package is expected to include a new or redesigned turbocharger. The timing shows Ferrari is spreading its changes across the season with a view toward steady progress, not a short-term burst. The team’s wider aim is to cut the gap to Mercedes in the championship fight, and it also sees the upgrade path as part of a longer engine-development programme aimed at improving performance during the 2026 season. That makes the Austrian update a first move, not the finish line. Ferrari is working within the same development framework that Audi opened at Barcelona, and its next steps point to a staged approach built around gradual gains, component by component, as the season moves on.
