The International Federation for the 2026 to 2030 seasons has established a system aimed at improving track performance and uniformity of performance across all Formula 1 manufacturers.
The system is called ADUO and works like this: the performance of the powertrains will be verified at three times of the year and, based on the data collected, manufacturers in difficulty will have the opportunity to take advantage of some additional approvals, compared to the manufacturer of the reference engine based on the acquired delay:
a. Those between 2 and 4% below the ICE Performance Index will be eligible to:
1 – A further type approval in the current year
2 – A further approval in the following year
b. Those more than 4% behind the ICE Performance Index will be eligible to:
1 – Two additional approvals in the current year
2 – Two additional approvals in the following year
The FIA also states that: Updates to the ADUO type approval may not be combined over the course of a season and will only be granted following the first response in which the PU manufacturer is assessed by the FIA as eligible for ADUO (in one of the three periods provided for).
FIA: the clause limiting imbalances in favour of an F1 aimed at convergence of performance
What caught our attention, however, is a postscript. A clause placed by the Federation: The FIA reserves the right to implement corrective actions, at its sole discretion, if updates implemented under Article 3.3 result in a competitive imbalance. Any such action will be discussed in good faith with all PU manufacturers.
For greater clarity we also provide what is indicated in Article 3.3 in question: PU manufacturers who meet the criteria described by the optional type approval opportunities will be able to carry out ADUO updates with the following criteria:
1) Must contain only components marked with “” in the “ADUO” column of the reference table in Appendix C4
2) They will require the submission of an updated approval dossier as specified in Article 1.5 of this Appendix
Additionally, the power unit has been updated to the latest ADUO approval:
1) must contain only parts belonging to that updated type approval dossier.
2) may be introduced starting from the first Competition following the ADUO grant, in addition to any other updates to the specifications otherwise permitted.
3) will be available to each customer of the PU manufacturer's F1 team.
That said, all ADUO updates will be subject to careful oversight by the FIA. The Federation, with this note, practically says ‘’yes’’ to homogeneity of performance and a clear ‘’no’’ to imbalances. In that case, the regulator will be the same producers who take note of the fears expressed by the FIA and draw conclusions.
Foto copertina: X, FIA
Foto interna: X, FIA
Read also in italian language: ADUO: diritto esclusivo FIA di attuare azioni correttive sulle omologazioni
