FIA to publish ADUO data; Hamilton warns gap closing will take months

The FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) benchmarking identified Red Bull Ford Powertrains’ DM01 V6 as the internal combustion engine (ICE) benchmark. Assessments based on measurements taken after the Canadian Grand Prix and communicated to manufacturers at the Monaco Grand Prix led to targeted development allowances for rivals: Motorsport.com and PlanetF1 reported that Mercedes sat just over 2 percent behind the benchmark, while Ferrari, Honda and Audi were assessed at more than 4 percent behind. Ford motorsport boss Mark Rushbrook praised the Milton Keynes collaboration that produced the DM01. Under ADUO, entitlement is set by an ICE performance index that measures engine speed, torque and MGU‑K output and excludes energy deployment and battery performance. Manufacturers receive one homologation token for roughly every 2 percent shortfall versus the benchmark; those tokens expand homologation scope, add dyno hours and provide targeted cost‑cap relief to permit development outside the normal regulatory windows. Reports said Mercedes’s deficit earned it one extra homologation upgrade for the current season and another in 2027, while Ferrari, Honda and Audi were each allocated two homologation upgrades this season and two in 2027. Some accounts differ on Audi’s precise allowance—PlanetF1 said Audi qualified for at least one ADUO allowance and noted Audi’s main deficit while it develops its first F1 power unit. Drivers and teams acknowledged the scale of the task ahead. Lewis Hamilton said using the extra development allowances to close the gap would be a long project — “roughly eight to ten months.” The FIA has not yet published the full ADUO benchmarking data and an official announcement could follow within days. The body also plans a further ADUO review covering races from Monaco through the Hungarian Grand Prix; a later assessment could alter upgrade opportunities.