Tag: Italian Grand Prix

FIA Reveals Latest ADUO Engine Ranking as Red Bull Remains Formula 1 Benchmark

The FIA has published the latest Additional Upgrades and Opportunities (ADUO) evaluation for Formula 1 power units, with the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine still ranked as the benchmark.

The analysis covers every race from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix through the Hungarian Grand Prix. According to the FIA’s findings, Red Bull-Ford currently has the most powerful internal combustion engine in F1.

Mercedes is estimated to be between 2% and 4% behind Red Bull-Ford on power. Audi, Ferrari and Honda are more than 4% adrift. Honda’s updated power unit, introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix, was not included in the latest assessment.

No additional power unit homologations awarded

Following the first quarter of the season, Mercedes was granted one additional homologation for each of 2026 and 2027. Audi, Ferrari and Honda were each awarded two additional homologations for both years. The allowances include extra cost-cap capacity and additional dyno testing, although no official announcement had been made at the time.

While the FIA confirmed the latest ADUO ranking, it did not award any further homologations in this evaluation period.

Mercedes expected to lead F1 power unit rankings

Mercedes had widely been considered to have the strongest power unit in Formula 1, rather than Red Bull-Ford. The ADUO system has faced criticism because it evaluates only the internal combustion engine, which is not the sole performance differentiator in F1’s current hybrid power units.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also acknowledged the strength of the team’s power unit, although his comments were not made specifically in reference to the ADUO system.

“The FIA has undertaken thorough and exhaustive analysis as part of our ADUO review process,” said Nikolas Tombazis, FIA director of single-seater. “With the release of the findings of period two, we are confident that, based on the quality of the data, its analysis is incredibly robust, giving us a high level of confidence in our findings. We also have to respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of the teams and their power unit manufacturers in disseminating any details from the findings.

“This is the first year of ADUO so naturally there are areas which we may evolve over time, in discussion with all the PU manufacturers.”

Red Bull questions ADUO opportunities

Red Bull has been particularly frustrated by the limited opportunities provided by the current ranking system. The team requested a review of the results issued after the Canadian Grand Prix, but that appeal was unsuccessful.

Speaking after the Belgian Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said:

“Toto is right. I also think that they have the most powerful power unit,” team principal Laurent Mekies said following the Belgian GP. “And certainly they had a sizeable advantage on the straight this weekend again.

“But it’s not the first weekend. They have an advantage on the straight most weekends. And this weekend a bit more with the track sensitivity.

“As you said, the second period closing in Budapest in a week’s time. We’ll see what’s happening.”

With Red Bull-Ford still at the top of the ADUO rankings, the system is expected to become a major topic of debate during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

08/26/2026
Toto Wolff Explains Decision Behind Kimi Antonelli’s Monza Engine Penalty

During the race weekend at Zandvoort, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff confirmed that Kimi Antonelli is set to serve a grid penalty at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The penalty is the result of a planned power unit change.

While the legendary Monza circuit is Antonelli’s home event, the Mercedes team believes that taking the tactical hit now is the most logical choice. Making the change in Italy helps the team avoid potential technical failures later in the season, similar to the mechanical issue that forced Antonelli to retire early in Barcelona.

Regarding the strategic decision, Wolff explained, “With Kimi, we’re taking the full thing. Our calculations say that that’s the best track to take it,” before adding, “Obviously, algorithms don’t take their nationality into consideration. We’re here to fight for a championship and not get the most PR. So yeah, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Reliability Concerns and Potential Penalty for George Russell

Monza’s famous “Temple of Speed” features long straights that heavily favor the Mercedes power unit. Additionally, the circuit offers numerous overtaking opportunities, making it an ideal venue to minimize the impact of a grid drop. Under current sporting regulations, drivers face grid penalties at the first event where any additional power unit components beyond their seasonal allocation are introduced. Mercedes has faced multiple reliability concerns this season, which also affected Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, during the race weekends in Canada and Belgium.

The team is currently evaluating whether Russell will also need to take a strategic engine penalty. “With George, the discussions are ongoing, if we were to take it,” Wolff continued.

Monza: A Track Ripe for Comebacks

Historically, Monza has been a circuit where drivers can successfully fight their way forward, often yielding highly unpredictable results. In 2020, Pierre Gasly claimed a shocking victory after starting 10th on the grid. The following year, Daniel Ricciardo led McLaren to a spectacular win despite driving what was only the fourth-quickest car on the grid at the time.

Grid penalties have not prevented strong finishes at the track in more recent years either. Last season, Isack Hadjar overcame a pit lane start to secure a P10 finish for Racing Bulls after taking on new power unit components. In 2022, Max Verstappen won the Grand Prix from a five-place grid penalty, while Lewis Hamilton sliced through the field from the very back to finish fifth.

These past performances illustrate why Mercedes selected Monza for the tactical shift, despite it being Antonelli’s home race. For fans, Antonelli’s recovery drive could provide a thrilling spectacle as the young driver fights his way through the field.

Antonelli heads into the Italian Grand Prix weekend in a commanding position, having further extended his championship lead with a second-place finish at Zandvoort. After 12 rounds, he sits 59 points clear of both his teammate and Hamilton.

08/26/2026
Luke Browning to Drive for Williams in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix

Williams Racing has confirmed that reserve driver Luke Browning will return to the cockpit for the opening free practice session (FP1) at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix. The British racer is set to take over Alex Albon’s FW48 at the iconic Monza circuit.

Luke Browning’s Journey with Williams F1

Browning first joined the Williams Driver Academy back in 2023. Since then, he has frequently represented the Grove-based team during mandatory rookie practice sessions, starting with his initial FP1 outing at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Following four subsequent practice runs, the young Briton was elevated to the role of official reserve driver at the beginning of 2026, balancing his Formula 1 obligations with a competitive drive in Japan’s Super Formula championship.

Opportunities and Regulations in the FW48

The 24-year-old was originally slated to drive the FW48 in both Spain and Austria earlier this season. Although an unexpected electrical gremlin sidelined him during the Barcelona weekend, Browning successfully took to the track at the Red Bull Ring. During FP1 in Austria, he secured an 18th-place finish, ending up just three-tenths of a second adrift of team leader Albon.

Under current Formula 1 regulations, all teams must allocate at least two free practice sessions per year to a rookie driver. The FIA defines a rookie as any competitor who has started two or fewer Grands Prix in their career.

“I’m thrilled to have another chance to drive an FP1 session with Atlassian Williams F1 Team,” said Browning. “It’s a great opportunity to get invaluable laps in the FW48 while building my understanding of the car and helping to bring useful data and feedback back to Grove.

“Each session teaches you something new, and I want to take every bit of learning I can from this to keep pushing my development and the team forward. For this weekend, it’s about supporting Williams to help maximise the result here in Monza.”

Overcoming a Challenging F1 Campaign

Browning has been instrumental behind the scenes, dedicating significant hours to Williams’ simulator program. This preparation comes during a demanding campaign for the historic British team, which has struggled with delayed developments and a lack of competitive pace, leaving them fighting toward the back of the grid.

Browning will look to make an immediate impact and provide critical feedback when the green light drops for FP1 at Monza at 1230 local time on September 4.

08/26/2026
Mercedes Seeking Answers After Kimi Antonelli’s Pace Faded in F1 Dutch Grand Prix

Mercedes has launched a “deep dive” into Kimi Antonelli’s performance at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix after the championship leader reported a “difficult second half” of the race while struggling with the balance of his W17.

Antonelli made a strong start at Zandvoort. After qualifying third, he overtook Mercedes team-mate George Russell off the line to take second place before the end of the opening lap. However, the championship leader encountered increasing problems with the car after each tyre change.

“It was really weird because I felt good with the medium. I felt decent on the first hard, but then on the second one it just felt really odd,” Antonelli explained after finishing runner-up to McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Mercedes is now investigating the issues Antonelli faced to understand what went wrong before the next round of the Formula 1 season in Italy.

“Each tyre had a bit more oversteer than the tyre before it and we’re trying to understand why that was,” explained Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin in the team’s Dutch GP debrief video.

“Now, we didn’t change the car, we didn’t add any aero balance, which is the sort of thing that could have explained it. So, we’re having a real deep dive into the data and try and get to the bottom of that because it’s important to solve those sort of things ahead of the next race.

“It’s obviously getting really tight now in terms of performance. We’re still waiting for our major update to land and that will help but in the meantime, it is going to be a bit of a fight.”

The championship leader settled for second in the Netherlands

Antonelli said the problem left him with “little confidence in the car” during the closing stages, when he was defending against Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc while also closing on Russell.

Because Antonelli and Russell were using offset strategies, Russell allowed his younger team-mate through. The move helped Antonelli secure second place and extend his championship lead.

“George, you know, I have to thank him because he made my life a lot easier,” Antonelli explained. “But I still think probably could have stayed out and gone until the end with the same set because it put us a little bit at risk. Also, I feel we put George at risk with having to let me by and everything.

“But I still think, at the end of the day, it was a great team execution with how things were, and I think today P2 was the maximum we could have done because the pace of the McLarens, especially in the second half, was just too strong.”

Mercedes will hope to identify the cause of Antonelli’s handling problems before his home race in Italy. The team has already confirmed that he will take an engine penalty at the event because of reliability issues earlier in the season.

08/26/2026
Ferrari Teases Special Michael Schumacher Livery for SF-26 at Monza

Ferrari is preparing for next week’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where anticipation is building for the debut of a new engine expected to significantly reduce Mercedes’ power advantage. The Scuderia hopes the upgrade can reignite the Formula 1 world championship battle, with Lewis Hamilton second alongside George Russell behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari will also unveil a special tribute to Michael Schumacher at the 97th Italian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion remains one of the most beloved figures in Formula 1 and a defining part of Ferrari’s history.

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2004. Photo: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

Ferrari to honor Michael Schumacher at Monza

The Italian Grand Prix at the Temple of Speed takes place 30 years after Schumacher claimed his first victory with Ferrari in 1996 and 20 years after his final win for the team in 2006. Between those victories, he delivered a decade of unprecedented success, securing five world titles and 71 wins during the most glorious period in Ferrari’s history.

Hamilton’s and Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 cars will therefore feature a special livery dedicated to Schumacher. Monza will provide an appropriate stage to recognize the German driver’s extraordinary performances, which have since become legendary.

Michael Schumacher, world champion with Ferrari’s F1-2000. Photo: Sutton Images

Schumacher has lived in an unknown condition since suffering a dramatic skiing accident in Méribel on 29 December 2013. His wife, Corinna, and their family continue to care for the former champion and will have the opportunity to witness the Formula 1 community’s enduring affection for one of the greatest figures in racing history.

A series of initiatives dedicated to Schumacher is being prepared for Monza and will be officially announced in the coming days. The Italian Grand Prix is expected to draw a huge crowd, not only because of the championship battle involving home favorite Antonelli and Ferrari, but also because of the tribute Ferrari is planning for Schumacher.

Keep Fighting Michael…

08/26/2026
Red Bull Seeks F1 Development Lifeline as FIA’s New ADUO Decision Looms

FIA ADUO Engine Rankings: Red Bull Tops First Period, Awaits Second Assessment

Although the second ADUO period—Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities in Formula 1—concluded after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the official results of the first assessment period remain unpublished. During the Monaco race weekend, however, all manufacturers were privately informed of the outcome, which placed Red Bull-Ford Powertrains surprisingly at the top of the rankings.

First Period Results Favor Rivals

Despite Red Bull’s dominant start to the season, the FIA allocated development tokens to its competitors: Mercedes High Performance Powertrains received one token, while Ferrari, Audi, and Honda were each granted two upgrade opportunities. The governing body had prepared a public announcement at that time but withheld it following considerable behind-the-scenes dissatisfaction from Red Bull, with CEO Oliver Mintzlaff directly involved.

The Milton Keynes-based manufacturer had limited avenues to challenge the result. The current system measures only the internal combustion engine (ICE), yet the upgrade opportunities apply to the electrical side of the power unit as well—a structural weakness that cannot be addressed in the short term. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explained to media including Motorsport.com that he was open to incorporating additional parameters such as turbo size, but teams and manufacturers pushed to keep the system simple last year.

Consequently, Red Bull could only request a factual review. Team principal Laurent Mekies stated that, in his view, there was “not a single data point” suggesting that Red Bull-Ford Powertrains has the best engine on the grid. That factual check does not appear to have altered the outcome. When asked by Motorsport.com, Tombazis affirmed the accuracy of the FIA’s measurements.

“I think our measurement, in my opinion, has proven to be very accurate,” he said. “With that said, has everything worked fine? No, because obviously people are not happy and so on. Do we need to think about improvements in the future? Yes, I would say so.”

The prevailing paddock sentiment is that manufacturers such as Mercedes and Ferrari strategically managed their performance during the opening race weekends—avoiding showing their full hand—to secure ADUO tokens. Ferrari, in particular, managed to obtain two tokens through this approach.

Second Period Offers Red Bull a Potential Lifeline

Red Bull’s hopes now rest on the second assessment period, which covers races up to and including the Hungarian Grand Prix. According to the prescribed timeframe, the FIA should inform all manufacturers of the results ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with an announcement expected this week or early next week.

For Red Bull to receive a token, its internal combustion engine must no longer rank as the best in this second assessment. However, this outcome depends partly on rival manufacturers, who can effectively play a strategic game. If competitors refrain from using their tokens on the ICE and continue to withhold maximum performance at certain events, they could keep Red Bull at the top of the ranking for longer.

Tombazis, speaking before the summer break, expressed skepticism about such a scenario unfolding.

“Well, I don’t think it would be convenient for you to always be below [your maximum power] just to keep getting more opportunities, because what’s the point of opportunities if it isn’t ultimately for you to be on top?”

To qualify for a token, Red Bull’s deficit to the best ICE on the grid during the second ADUO period must exceed 2%. If Red Bull remains top-ranked or its deficit is assessed at less than 2%, it will again receive no upgrade opportunity. In that scenario, the team’s only remaining chance to modify its power unit this season would come in the third period, which concludes after the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Mekies and his team are hopeful of securing an opportunity before then. If successful, every manufacturer will have received at least one token in the first season under the all-new regulations, with clarity expected before media day in Monza.

08/25/2026
George Russell: “Specialist” Lando Norris Always Strong at Tracks Like Zandvoort

Russell: Norris a Specialist at High-Degradation Circuits After Zandvoort Win

George Russell believes Lando Norris’s back-to-back victories in Hungary and the Netherlands are no surprise, citing the McLaren driver’s historical strength at tracks defined by long corners and high tyre degradation.

Norris secured pole and victory at both the Hungaroring and Zandvoort either side of the summer break, a surge coinciding with a significant McLaren upgrade package. However, Russell pointed out that Norris has consistently excelled at circuits sharing these specific characteristics.

“I don’t think it’s a major surprise for us, seeing how competitive Lando was this weekend, considering he won in Budapest,”

Russell said after finishing third in the Dutch Grand Prix.

“It’s a very similar circuit with the long corners, high tyre degradation, with the two-stop strategy, so there’s a lot of similarities between the two circuits. I think this may continue for the coming two or three races until we start to bring more to the car, and fingers crossed our competitors don’t.”

Monza Presents Different Challenge

The next round at Monza offers a contrasting layout. While it features a few long corners, the Italian circuit is predominantly characterised by long straights, heavy braking zones, and low-speed chicanes. Russell expects Mercedes to be more competitive there, referencing the team’s strong performances at Shanghai, Montreal, and Silverstone earlier this season.

However, he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Ferrari’s rumoured engine upgrade and the unique demands Monza places on power units.

“I think we will be slightly more competitive there,”

Russell said of Monza.

“However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know.”

Despite the circuit change, Russell maintains McLaren remains the benchmark, particularly in high-degradation conditions where Norris excels.

“But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year.”

“Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”

Antonelli Faces Grid Penalty at Home Race

Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli is set to start from the back of the grid at his home round in Monza. The penalty stems from a full Mercedes power unit change that exceeds his seasonal allocation.

08/25/2026