Hamilton Reveals Red Bull Ford Has F1’s Most Powerful Engine as Ferrari and Mercedes Unlock ADUO Upgrade Tokens

Red Bull Ford Powertrains has been confirmed as the holder of Formula 1’s leading V6 combustion engine following official performance measurements conducted by the FIA after the Canadian Grand Prix, with both Ferrari and Mercedes falling short of the benchmark by margins that qualify them for additional development assistance.

The disclosure came from an unlikely source. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton inadvertently revealed the findings of the FIA’s engine assessment. “I think the news came out either yesterday or today that Red Bull have the most powerful engine, Mercedes second, and then we’re behind,” Hamilton said. “So, we’ve now got these tokens to try and develop and close the gap. But that’s like an eight-to-10-month project, so it’s not something we can just do next week. We’ll be pushing as hard as we can to see how we can close it out.”

Under the sport’s Accelerated Development of Underperforming Others (ADUO) framework, the FIA measures all V6 combustion engines against a benchmark power unit following designated race weekends. For every 2% of performance deficit recorded against that benchmark, a manufacturer is granted additional homologation tokens — including extra dyno hours and an increased cost cap allowance — enabling development work outside the standard regulatory windows.

Autosport has confirmed that Mercedes’ deficit surpasses the 2% threshold, qualifying the German manufacturer for one additional homologation token. Ferrari’s shortfall is understood to exceed 4%, meaning the Maranello-based outfit is expected to receive two tokens. An official FIA announcement is anticipated as early as Monday, with regulations requiring the governing body to publish its findings within 14 days of the Canadian Grand Prix.

Audi and Honda are believed to sit even further behind the benchmark, though the precise extent of the assistance they will receive had not been fully determined at the time of reporting.

Hamilton was measured in his assessment of what the tokens can realistically deliver. While acknowledging the development opportunity, the seven-time world champion emphasised that closing an engine deficit is not a short-term fix, noting that the process represents an eight-to-ten-month undertaking at minimum.

The ADUO mechanism was originally designed to prevent a repeat of the Honda situation in 2017, when the Japanese manufacturer found itself significantly adrift of its rivals with limited regulatory scope to respond. The sliding scale of upgrade opportunities, however, has since attracted political tension within the paddock, as manufacturers with stronger engines have scrutinised the system’s potential to redistribute the competitive order.

The confirmation that Red Bull Ford Powertrains — a partnership only formalised ahead of the 2026 season — holds the benchmark power unit represents a notable result for a relatively new engine programme. Ferrari, by contrast, enters the ADUO window in a position that will require substantial internal resource allocation if it is to meaningfully reduce the gap before the development timeline elapses.

For Mercedes, the findings add a further dimension to a 2026 campaign that has carried its own transitional pressures following Hamilton’s high-profile departure to Ferrari. The Silver Arrows sit second in the engine standings but within the threshold for assistance, suggesting their deficit, while real, remains within a range that targeted development could address.

The FIA’s formal publication of the combustion engine rankings is expected imminently, at which point the full scope of each manufacturer’s ADUO entitlement will become official.