FIA gives Honda target extra ADUO engine support

The FIA has moved Formula 1’s first ADUO engine review to after the Canadian Grand Prix and created a new top-tier support category for any manufacturer more than 10% behind the benchmark, a change that appears set to benefit Honda more than anyone else.

The revised timetable was approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix forced a change to the calendar. Under the amended Article 4.2 of Appendix C5, ADUO evaluations will now come after rounds five, 11 and 18, instead of after rounds six, 12 and 18. That means the FIA will communicate its first evaluation after Canada on 24 May, the second after the Hungarian Grand Prix on 26 July, and the third after the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November.

The bigger change is in the support itself. Manufacturers at least 10% behind the best internal combustion engine now qualify for 230 extra hours on the dynamic test bench and an additional $11 million in budget over the next two years. Only manufacturers in that highest category are allowed to spend part of that extra money in 2026, capped at $8 million.

That new threshold has been widely interpreted as a direct response to Honda’s position heading into the new engine era. ADUO measures only internal combustion engine performance rather than the complete power unit, with Mercedes regarded as the reference. One report said Antonio Lobato, co-director of SoyMotor.com, had previously put Honda’s deficit on the ICE alone at 60 to 70 horsepower, more than 10% compared with a Mercedes engine described as producing a little over 550 horsepower.

The FIA’s revised assistance ladder now scales with the size of the performance gap. Manufacturers less than 2% behind get no extra test-bench time. Those between 2% and 4% receive 70 hours, between 4% and 6% get 110, between 6% and 8% get 150, and between 8% and 10% get 190. Financial support also rises with the deficit, reaching $8 million for manufacturers between 8% and 10% behind before jumping to $11 million above that mark.

The clarification resolves a timing dispute that had left teams waiting for the system to be activated. Before the FIA confirmed the revised review points, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur told media including RacingNews365: “The situation is crystal clear, and the only open point perhaps is that, as we said, [ADUO would apply] was after [race] six.” He said the unresolved issue was whether that meant “race six of the initial calendar or race six of the new calendar.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had supported the principle of ADUO while warning it should be used to help a manufacturer catch up rather than reorder the field. With the FIA now adding a 10% threshold and bringing the first review forward to Canada, the system is far more likely to act as a targeted recovery tool for the most delayed engine program on the grid.