Ferrari sets record straight amid hype surrounding F1 Austrian GP engine upgrade

Ferrari has confirmed it will bring its first ADUO-influenced engine upgrade for the 2026 Formula 1 season at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. 

The first verdict of the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) catch-up system deemed that Ferrari will be granted the chance to make two upgrades to its V6 power unit this season. 

It comes amid Ferrari’s continued and aggressive push to reduce its deficit to Mercedes after securing a first win in nearly two years with Lewis Hamilton last time out in Barcelona, where the Italian outfit introduced a successful eight-part upgrade package. 

News of Ferrari being permitted engine upgrade opportunities has sparked excitement that the 2026 world championship, which looked like it might be contested exclusively between the Mercedes drivers, could be blown wide open. 

But Ferrari has moved to downplay the impact of its first ADUO engine upgrade, insisting it “will not change the competitive order” on its own. 

“Since the beginning of the 2026 project, we have combined a continuous development approach with longer-term development programmes, to fully exploit all available opportunities to increase the performance of our Power Unit. These two streams run in parallel and often reinforce each other,” Ferrari power unit director Enrico Gualtieri said. 

“The entire team at the factory is now working relentlessly to make the most of the additional opportunities provided by the ADUO mechanism, in full alignment with our intended development roadmap. 

“The update we are bringing to Spielberg is a relatively minor one and it’s the result of the work completed in recent weeks to transfer improvements from our development programme to the track. It epitomises key principles of our sport: continuous improvement, reacting quickly, and deploying gains at the earliest opportunity.

“This update is not a major step, and it will not, on its own, change the competitive order. What it does show is the attitude of the team and our technical partners: to push continuously and to make the most of every opportunity to improve our package. 

“In a championship as competitive as this one, it is unrealistic to expect a single update to transform the overall picture, especially under the current homologation and development constraints. 

“Performance is built progressively, not only through hardware changes, but also through how effectively you optimise the package race by race.”

The update is believed to be worth less than 10 additional horsepower in total, with Ferrari preparing an even bigger upgrade set for introduction after the summer break that is expected to include a new turbocharger. 

Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari victory in Spain saw him close the gap to championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who suffered a late retirement, down to 41 points with 15 races remaining. 

“This championship is a challenge from start to finish, not only in terms of pure performance, but also in how effectively you optimise each component at the track, and how robust and reliable your overall package is,” Gualtieri added. 

"We fully recognise that some of our competitors have done a better job so far. This is part of the reality of Formula 1 and its challenges, and it sets a clear target for us. 

"We know it won’t be an easy journey, and we prefer to commit to facts rather than promises. But I can say that everyone is united and hard-working, and we are confident that, with focus and consistency, we can achieve our targets.”