Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff pressures the FIA to carefully examine how it helps manufacturers within the F1 2026 regulations.
The Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) is a mechanism introduced by the FIA in 2026 to ensure a level playing field for all power unit manufacturers. It offers some relief through technical and financial allowances to help them “catch up“.
With the arrival of the new F1 2026 regulations, the FIA wants to prevent dominance from a specific PU developer. This has happened in the past, for example, in 2014, Mercedes dominated when F1 introduced the V6 Turbo Hybrid engines.
The extent of the performance deficit determines the size of the advantage. All power units are studied in reference to a benchmark, in this case, the championship leader Mercedes. If a manufacturer operates between 2% and 4% below the benchmark, they can introduce an additional upgrade. Operating over 4% allows two extra upgrades.
The first evaluation should have been at the sixth round in Miami. However, after the cancellation of Middle East races, Miami has become the fourth round, but teams are looking to bring the assessment forward.
Wolff: “Gamesmanship hasn’t got any place here”
Toto Wolff spoke in a media call about ADUO within the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari in the F1 2026 season. The Maranello team has recently discussed how ADUO portrays an opportunity to catch up.
He was also asked whether the measure was created as something that would allow a team fighting for wins to potentially overtake the championship leader. On this, Wolff stated:
“The principle of the ADUO was to allow teams that were on the back foot in terms of the power unit to catch up but not to leapfrog.
“And it needs to be very clear that whatever decisions are being made, whichever team is granted ADUO, that any such decision may have a big impact on the performance picture and on the championship if not done with absolute precision and clarity and transparency.
“It needs to be clear that gamesmanship hasn’t got any place here. It needs to be with the right spirit here that the FIA acts upon an ADUO.”
Currently, Mercedes sits comfortably at the top step of the constructors’ championship. Ferrari remains second, just 45 points behind. Yet, the Scuderia is hoping to introduce new updates after the ADUO report. Wolff has objected that only one power unit manufacturer –Honda– should benefit from ADUO in the F1 2026 regulations.
“Of course, the teams will have their performance pictures. And as it seems for me, there’s one engine manufacturer that has a problem, and we need to help. And then all the others are pretty much in the same ballpark.
“So I would be very surprised actually to see, and disappointed, if ADUO decision were done and would come up with any interferences into the competitive pecking order as it stands at the moment.”
Wolff warned the FIA on how to implement ADUO in F1 2026 regulations
Later, Toto Wolff was asked if he was worried about how ADUO could benefit teams like Ferrari. He answered: “I wouldn’t call it worried.”
A few weeks ago, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur expressed that he did not think the introduction of ADUO would be a “huge game-changer”. But he hoped it would provide an opportunity for them to “close the gap.”
Wolff remained cautious and warned that the measure should not impact the title fight. “I think we are all monitoring how decisions are being made.
“And we have precise data from our own analytics of where we see engine performance of our competitors and ourselves.
“And in that respect, I think the FIA is looking at the same data, and the FIA certainly I would very much hope that they continue to see themselves as protecting the integrity of the sport.
“Because you don’t want to allow an ADUO to a team that suddenly leapfrogs someone. The ADUO was always meant as a catch-up mechanism and not as a leapfrog mechanism.”
