Revealed: The new F1 rule Ferrari can benefit from to catch Mercedes

Ferrari believes it can benefit from a new Formula 1 rule as it bids to catch current pacesetters Mercedes.

Mercedes has lived up to its pre-season favourite tag by emerging from the winter as the team to beat in 2026, having made an ominous start with convincing one-twos at the opening two rounds in Australia and China.

Ferrari has been Mercedes’ closest challenger so far but acknowledges it has a significant deficit to the Silver Arrows, which it estimates to be in the region of around half a second.

The Maranello squad has an aggressive development plan in an attempt to close that gap, but the hardest area to make gains will be on the power unit side.

A change in the rules to combat a rumoured a loophole in the regulations that Mercedes has capitalised on will come into force from 1 June.

After the fifth round of the season, engine compression ratio limits will be tested both in hot and cold conditions.

While all of the non-Mercedes powered teams could be in line to benefit from this early-season change, there is another new rule for 2026 that Ferrari is looking to take advantage of.

What is ADUO?

Although engines have been homologated for 2026, meaning that design specifications are effectively frozen, the regulations set out three periods of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities - otherwise known as ADUO.

Any team judged to be at least two per cent behind the manufacturer with the best-performing internal combustion engine will be allowed opportunities to develop their power unit.

This rule has been implemented to try and help the competition remain close between engine manufacturers, amid fears of a 2014-style repeat of Mercedes’ PU advantage being locked in for years. 

Any manufacturer deemed to meet the two percent threshold after six races will therefore be allowed to make one upgrade later in 2026, as well as another in 2027.

Two in-season upgrades will be permitted this year, and two more for 2027, for any manufacturer with a deficit of four per cent or higher to the class-leader.

Ferrari believes it is on course to benefit from the regulation.

"I'm not convinced that the new compression ratio rule will be a gamechanger,” Vasseur told media including Crash.net after the Chinese Grand Prix.

”It's more that you will have the ADUO at one stage and the introduction of the ADUO will be an opportunity for us to close the gap but once again it's not just about pure performance.

"I think you have a lot in the energy management, a lot in the chassis and it would be a mistake from our side to be just focused on one parameter.”

Despite Ferrari’s lightning-fast starts enabling its drivers to snatch the lead on the first lap in both Australia and China, the team has ultimately had to settle with third and fourth behind Mercedes in the first two rounds.

On Ferrari’s deficit to Mercedes, Vasseur added: "We know that we have a deficit of performance, mainly in the straight line. We have to work on it.

"We are improving because we were eight tenths off in Melbourne, six tenths on Friday in China, four tenths on Saturday.

"Step by step we are understanding a bit more the situation and closing the gap, but they are still far away. It's not just about the engine. We have to work everywhere.

"We have to improve on the chassis and the tyres like always. Racing didn't change. All the components of the performance are still on the table and we don't have to be focused only on one parameter, but it's a challenge."