Red Bull Racing have the best power unit in Formula 1 as rivals are granted ADUO upgrades

Despite Mercedes being the package to beat in 2026, it appears that Red Bull Racing's power unit, which also powers their sister team, Racing Bulls, is the best out there.

The DM01, named after Red Bull's late founder Dietrich Mateschitz and built by Red Bull Ford Powertrains, leads the pecking order with Mercedes in second place, Ferrari in third, and Audi in fourth, while Honda is the worst.

After the first round of ADUO evaluation, the FIA have granted Mercedes one upgrade in 2026 and another in 2027, as they were found to be 2% behind Red Bull in terms of performance.

As for Ferrari, Audi, and Honda, they are all 4% behind Red Bull and were granted two upgrades for 2026. These three manufacturers also get two upgrades in 2027.

Seven-time F1 Champion and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix, said over the weekend: "Red Bull have the most powerful engine, Mercedes second, and then we [Ferrari] are behind.

"We've got now these tokens to try to 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 up," Hamilton concluded.

Explaining the ADUO upgrades, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said earlier in the 2026 F1 season: "It's important to make clear that ADUO is not a kind of balance of performance mechanism.

"A team or manufacturer will not suddenly get greater fuel flow rate or more or less ballast. It is, in fact, a Cost Cap relief mechanism where a PU manufacturer meeting ADUO criteria during a review period is given an opportunity to develop its engine through a downward adjustment.

"That's not to underestimate it, but a manufacturer will still need to make the best engine in order to win. It's not a magic bullet, or like the FIA is handing out brownie points to somebody who's behind.

"It simply provides them with leeway to develop their power unit within the framework laid out by the Technical Regulations," Tombazis concluded.

Red Bull should be applauded for this achievement, as the DM01 is their first ever F1 power unit built in-house, and to deliver the best package, given the complexity of these units, is no mean feat.

However, while the DM01 may be the most powerful, it still lacks on the reliability side, with Max Verstappen's Monaco Grand Prix DNF proof of that. (Source: Sky Sports F1)