The FIA clarifies its new ADUO system, emphasizing it unlocks development freedom, not guaranteed performance boosts, for struggling teams like Aston Martin.
Formula 1's 2026 regulatory changes have not only rewritten the rulebook — they have reshuffled the competitive order entirely. McLaren went from dominating the sport to falling behind rivals, while Mercedes made the leap from struggling in Lewis Hamilton's final years to leading the grid with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
To prevent performance gaps from growing too wide, the FIA has introduced a system known as ADUO, designed to give teams at the back of the field greater development freedom to close the gap and produce more competitive racing.
FIA single-seater director Nicolas Tombazis sat down with media to explain how ADUO could affect teams across the grid. Some outfits, most notably Aston Martin, had pinned their hopes on the system as a lifeline after a deeply disappointing start to the season.
"Let's not forget that ADUO is not — as some may suggest — a balance of performance mechanism. It will not suddenly allow you to run more fuel flow, or artificially level things out. What we're talking about is an opportunity to develop your engine in terms of cost allocation. You still need to build the best engine to win.
"We're not handing points to anyone just because they're behind. We've had lengthy discussions about the fact that engine power cannot be reduced to a single number. We offered to consider various parameters — turbo pressure and others — but the position of all manufacturers was that we should keep things simple.
"So the combustion engine horsepower metric was designated from the outset. I would personally have been open to introducing more complex parameters, but that discussion took place over a year ago and it was fairly clear how it concluded," the director said.
Which teams need ADUO most?
The team in most urgent need of a performance recovery in the 2026 Formula 1 season is Aston Martin. Heading into the new campaign, the squad was widely regarded as one of the pre-season favourites, boosted by the arrival of Adrian Newey and the extraordinary investment made by Lawrence Stroll in new facilities and technical talent.
The reality, however, proved starkly different. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were badly off the pace, and the team encountered serious reliability problems with its new Honda power unit — at times struggling to even reach the finish line.