Austrian GP: Ferrari plans aggressive engine upgrade push after ADUO boost

Ferrari is preparing an assertive power-unit development programme after the findings of the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities analysis opened the door to extra engine updates.

ADUO Findings Reshape the Engine Picture

The ADUO performance analysis remains confidential, but leaked details during the Monaco race weekend triggered significant paddock reaction. The most striking element was that Red Bull’s engine was assessed by the FIA as the benchmark of the field, a conclusion that reportedly surprised several rivals, including Red Bull itself.

That status means the Milton Keynes-based team is not permitted to introduce any additional engine upgrades this year. Mercedes, by contrast, was found to have a slight power deficit of just over 2 per cent, giving the Brixworth operation one extra engine upgrade this season and another in 2027.

Ferrari’s position is more dramatic. According to the measurements, the Scuderia was assessed as being between 4 and 6 per cent down on power, granting it the right to introduce two additional upgrades in both this season and next. That finding gives Ferrari a valuable development route at a moment when its broader performance picture has sharpened, particularly after Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona victory, covered in our report on Hamilton’s first Ferrari win.

Ferrari’s Upgrade Roadmap Takes Shape

The first step in Ferrari’s plan is scheduled for the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June, where the team is set to introduce its third engine of the season. The second step is planned for September at Monza, where the fourth engine change will coincide with the second permitted ADUO upgrade.

Because Ferrari’s underdog status allows wider changes to the engine’s internal components, expectations inside the team are understood to be high. The revised unit will not be a completely new power unit, but the modifications are expected to deliver a gain of around 30 horsepower.

Strategic Timing for Demanding Circuits

The decision to accelerate the programme is a calculated one. Austria, Great Britain and Belgium are described as highly demanding circuits for the engine, with significant emphasis on energy management.

Ferrari’s chassis has already demonstrated strong competitive potential, highlighted by Hamilton’s Barcelona win. The team’s next objective is clear: use the ADUO allowance to reduce the engine deficit and move closer to the front of the title fight.

There is, however, a political complication. Ferrari had initially opposed the new power ratio plans, and the source of that resistance is now clearer. With the internal combustion engine becoming more important again, the extra upgrades Ferrari has earned risk losing some of their relative effectiveness. Even so, under engine chief Enrico Gualtieri, the Scuderia is pressing ahead with an aggressive evolution strategy designed to narrow the gap as quickly as possible.

ADUO Findings Reshape the Engine Picture