While Ferrari and Audi have opted to take immediate advantage of the ADUO system by introducing an upgraded power unit early in the season—followed by a second specification later in the championship—Honda has chosen a very different approach. The Japanese manufacturer will instead debut just one revised power unit around the summer break, aiming for what it describes as “a significant step forward, but not a miracle.”
In recent weeks, the ADUO system has become one of the hottest technical topics in Formula 1. The mechanism allows manufacturers that are trailing in internal combustion engine performance to upgrade their power units during the season in an effort to reduce the gap to the benchmark engine, currently considered to be Red Bull’s.
The system operates on a tiered structure, granting different levels of development freedom depending on the size of the power deficit.
Manufacturers that fall within the 2% to 4% performance deficit bracket—such as Mercedes—are permitted to homologate one new power unit during both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. They also receive additional development resources, including increased budget allowances and extra dyno testing hours.
Teams with a deficit exceeding 4% benefit from even greater flexibility. Under the regulations, they are allowed to homologate two new power unit specifications instead of just one.
Audi and Ferrari have wasted no time taking advantage of that opportunity. As previously reported by Motorsport.com, Audi introduced its first upgraded engine at the Spanish Grand Prix, while Ferrari is set to debut its first development step this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix before rolling out a second update later in the championship.
This is where the development strategies begin to diverge. While Audi and Ferrari have integrated two separate engine upgrades into a clearly defined roadmap stretching through the remainder of the season, Honda has deliberately chosen a different path.
Rather than introducing an initial upgrade immediately, the Japanese manufacturer plans to unveil a completely revised power unit around the summer break, either shortly before or just after Formula 1’s mandatory shutdown period.
The biggest surprise, however, is that Honda is realistically expecting to introduce only one upgraded specification throughout the entire season. The plan was confirmed by Honda Trackside General Manager Shintaro Orihara ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
“We are planning to introduce a new engine around the summer. I don’t think we will have another step during this year,” Orihara explained.
Honda has therefore adopted a strategy that contrasts sharply with those of its rivals. Instead of bringing a smaller update now and following it with a more substantial second specification later—as Ferrari and Audi intend to do—the Japanese manufacturer has concentrated all of its development efforts on the power unit scheduled to arrive during the summer.
That package is expected to deliver a meaningful performance improvement, although Honda is careful not to raise expectations excessively by suggesting it will completely transform the competitive picture.
As Mattia Binotto recently indicated, Audi believes it is unrealistic to eliminate the entire performance deficit to the leading manufacturers by 2027. Instead, the German marque has set a longer-term objective of reaching complete engine parity across the Formula 1 grid by 2028. Against that backdrop, Honda is also choosing to manage expectations, even though a solid performance gain could still prove highly valuable.
“Our target is to focus on delivering a significant improvement around the summer. We still have many races left to run, so I would say it won’t be a small step, but it won’t be a miracle either. We are working very hard to introduce tangible developments,” Orihara added.
Discussing the contrasting development roadmaps between Honda and its rivals, Orihara explained that the decision had been made long ago because each manufacturer has different objectives and a different philosophy regarding when and how to introduce upgrades.
“I think they have their own project, and Honda has its own. We are focused on our programme, and we know there is a significant risk involved in trying to improve performance.”
“That’s why we are aiming to introduce our development steps around the summer, rather than bringing them to this event or the previous one. We are simply staying committed to our plan.”
Aston Martin is also preparing a substantial package of technical upgrades for around the summer break, with the goal of moving closer to the points-paying positions. The package will effectively represent an ‘evolution’ version of the car, as the Silverstone-based team has concluded that introducing smaller updates race after race would not significantly improve its position in the championship under the current competitive landscape.
For that reason, Aston Martin has elected to wait until the summer before introducing a major upgrade package that is expected to give the car a noticeably different character. With Honda’s new power unit potentially arriving after the summer shutdown, Aston Martin Trackside Team Principal Mike Krack explained that the aerodynamic and chassis developments are independent of the engine upgrade, meaning the two packages could be introduced at different points during the season.
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