Red Bull Awaits Crucial FIA Engine Upgrade Verdict

Red Bull will learn before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza whether it has earned an ADUO development token, a decision that could determine whether it can upgrade its 2026 power unit before the final assessment in Austin.

The FIA’s second Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities assessment covers the period from the Monaco Grand Prix through the Hungarian Grand Prix. Red Bull will receive an upgrade opportunity only if its internal-combustion engine is judged to be more than 2% behind the leading manufacturer. If it remains first, is level with the leader, or falls within 2%, it will again be denied a token.

That makes the ruling particularly important for Red Bull-Ford Powertrains after the FIA’s controversial first assessment, which covered the Australian through Canadian Grands Prix. The governing body ranked Red Bull first on ICE performance and more than 2% ahead of every rival. Red Bull was consequently the only manufacturer excluded from extra dyno-development time, additional budget-cap room and the introduction of a new power-unit specification.

The result jarred with the wider view of the 2026 power-unit order, because ADUO measures only the combustion engine rather than the complete hybrid package. Red Bull challenged the original classification through a factual review, with team principal Laurent Mekies saying he had seen “not a single data point” to show Red Bull-Ford had the best engine on the grid. The review is understood not to have uncovered evidence that altered the FIA’s finding.

Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, said before the summer break that the federation stood by its analysis while accepting that the process may need refinement. “I think our measurement, in my opinion, has proven to be very accurate,” Tombazis said. “Do we need to think about improvements in the future? Yes, I would say so.”

If the second assessment again leaves Red Bull without a token, its final chance to modify its power unit during 2026 will come in the third ADUO period, which concludes after the United States Grand Prix in Austin.