V8s with less hybrid assistance could reach F1 from the end of this decade to address criticism of the current, electric-heavy V6 racers.
Formula One could return to high-revving V8 engines with modest hybrid assistance as soon as 2030, in a reversal of a move to highly-electrified cars for 2026 that have been subject to backlash from drivers and fans.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed a move away from today's 1.6-litre turbo V6 hybrid engines "will happen" in 2030 or 2031, pending manufacturer approval, to reduce cost, weight and improve sound.
“We now have this engine, which is a 1.6-litre, and it did what it had to do, in a way, but think it’s the 14th year and we still have it, you know?” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem told media outlets, including The Drive.
“I believe that for the sake of the sustainability of the business – the cost, the efficiency, the lighter weight, the sound for the fans – I think [the V8] ticks many boxes.
“The MGU-H [generating electricity from exhaust gases] was, at the time, the future, but now it’s not.
“Now we’re using the MGU-K [electric power boost], with the battery with a turbo and 1.6-litre, but it is such a complicated engine, and a very expensive engine for R&D, and also for the sale of an engine [to a customer team]. But if you make it simple, others can afford it.”
The new V8s will use greater electrification than the engine layout's last outing from 2006 to 2013, but not to the same degree as today's V6 cars, which run a 50:50 split between petrol and electric power.
“With all due respect, electrification is not the only solution,” Sulayem said.
About 10 per cent of the performance from the next-generation F1 'power unit' is slated to come from batteries.
“First of all, you have to get the power,” the FIA president said.
“You can’t get the power with less than a 2.5- or 2.6-litre, so you’re talking about between 2.6- to 3.0 litres. Then, having a 10 per cent [energy split], you will get to 880 horsepower [647kW], but then the car [petrol engine] will be about 650hp [478kW], I think.
“Because, one thing we have to be also careful about is where do you get the power from if you have small displacement? That’d be the [engine's] heads, and revs, so if you’re a bit high, it will be annoying to young kids.
“You don’t want it to be over 15,500 to 16,000rpm. Once you go there, the frequency is really annoying, so we have to be responsible. But even if you allow them to reach higher rpm, it’s not about the noise adaptation of the sound.
“It’s more than that, it’s the price [of development] will just jump, because then you are after that refinement, which is very expensive.”
The FIA president said it will be “not more” than a 10 or 20 per cent share of electric power.
It has followed criticism of the current V6 hybrid cars, which source 50 per cent of their power from electricity, requiring drivers to aggressively recuperate energy to maintain performance.
It has created a phenomenon known as superclipping, where cars deplete their batteries on long straights and are forced to harvest energy while still at full throttle, losing tens of kilometres per hour of speed in the process.
The regulations have already undergone mid-season changes, as drivers say that the current rules are hurting the sport.
The new V8 engine could arrive as early as 2030, if a majority of the sport's engine manufacturers, which currently consist of Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Honda, Audi, Red Bull Ford, and come the end of the decade, Cadillac, approve a vote for it to go ahead.
“It will happen in 2031, but I want to bring it one year earlier,” Ben Sulayem said.
“In 2031, the FIA… can put any engine it sees is the right one – you know, not just benefiting one team. We have the big picture, we look from a high level and oversee all of the F1 teams. Would it be good for everyone? Yes, [and it will deliver] fair results.
”... We’re talking about easier to build, cheaper, and reliable units… really, it is a no-brainer.”
