Ferrari, Mercedes Suspected of Sandbagging For Development Advantage

Ferrari and Mercedes have been the two best power units in the bunch, and their manufacturer teams are benefiting from their early performance. Ferrari and Mercedes have been the two most consistent teams to start the season, and while the rest of the field is closing the gap ever more closely, an F1 insider believes both teams are hiding their true performance. In F1, the Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities, known as ADUO, give struggling power unit manufacturers the ability to upgrade their engine as the season goes along, along with additional development time.

Per Mark Hughes of Motorsport Magazine , Ferrari is hoping to stay below a certain threshold to benefit from AUDO’s help, while Mercedes is doing something similar. May 2, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (left), Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli (center) and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (16) pose for a photo after finishing the qualifying session for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images AUDO is dished out after the Canadian Grand Prix, when engine performance early on is measured.

There is additional money opened up, extra time in the simulator, and the ability to bring engine upgrades. AUDO’s 2027 impact Additional help for a power unit could be used in the 2027 season, when there is a change coming to the cars. The power split will be adjusted from 50/50 to 60/40, with slightly more conventional energy.

According to Hughes , while Ferrari and Mercedes could use their time for this season, they could end up preparing for 2027. “It will impact upon all aspects of the engine and car specification: the optimum combustion chamber shape, valve angles, camshaft design, cooling, fuel consumption, optimum electrical energy harvesting and deployment, turbo behavior and sizing, even aerodynamics (because of the cooling and fuel consumption implications),” Hughes wrote. “Optimizing around all those interacting variables is a long and expensive job, one not foreseen or budgeted for.