Formula 1 has always been called the “Pinnacle of Motorsport,” where each year, automotive technology is pushed further and further. Back in 2014, the sport made a major change in engine regulations; gone were the “wasteful” and massive V8s, and in their place came the 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid V6s.
Initial reception from fans (like me) was that these new engines took away a major aspect of F1 fandom, the aural experience was gone, and was replaced by virtual silence. Over the years, teams have introduced different updates to add more noise. We’ve grown accustomed to the new hybrids, having been raced for over a decade now. It seems, though, our pleas to bring back the noise have borne fruit.
2026 has been another big year for the sport, with new regulations in play. Engines this year are required to do a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. This has led to drivers complaining about the car's drivability, which has, in turn, given us some fantastic racing over the past three race weekends. As the year progresses, the FIA has worked with the teams to eliminate some of the dependency on the electric motor to make it better for the drivers.
During the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix, Outspoken FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that he wants the V8s back on the grid in a few years. This is monumental news coming from the President of the sports governing body. He first proposed this idea to the engine manufacturers last year, but didn’t make any headway. With the electric power putting off the drivers, he plans to reintroduce the V8s before the new regulation changes in 2030 or 2031, given that the FIA and F1 teams usually plan the new regulations years in advance.
Apart from the sound, Ben-Sulayem insists that there are other good reasons to go back to the V8. He cites that they are lighter and much less complex to build. He goes on further to say that some form of electrification will persist, but in a minor capacity. Details of this new-generation V8 engine are set to be released soon, according to Ben-Sulayem. Implementation will, of course, require the F1 engine manufacturers to also agree, expect the proposed V8s to be tweaked over time before a final specification.
Words by Pablo Salapantan
Batteries and electric motors will still progress further than these future V8s. There's just way more space to improve compared to combustion engines which can only be incrementally improved, at most. Formula E however has exclusivity on full/high electric powertrains (I forget until what year) so even if the tech gets that good F1 wouldn't be allowed to go as far as FE can go. You could very well have a future where FE cars are so much better than F1 but given the difference in track types you can still have them distinct and enjoy them separately.
ReplyDeleteabout time. 2030 is too long to wait.
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