FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem feels Formula 1 should consider returning to the V10 engines but with sustainable fuels.
With the introduction of the 2026 regulations, F1 will switch to a 100% sustainable fuel as part of its plans to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
The sport will continue to use the turbocharged 1.6 V6 internal combustion engine but with a far more powerful electrical component.
There will be a near 50/50 split in terms of the output from the engine and the MGU-K electric motor – which will have three times the electrical power than the current iteration.
The move towards a reliance on electric energy appealed to Audi and Cadillac, who are both set to join the sport in the coming years.
In light of F1’s latest hybrid rules, Honda went back on its earlier decision to leave the series, but Renault announced its plans to no longer be a works manufacturer in F1.
With the introduction of less polluting synthetic fuels, there have been calls for a return to the ever-popular, screeching V10 engines.
One of the advocates for the return of the V10s is the governing body’s president Ben Sulayem, who thinks F1 should consider returning the engines last used by the entire grid back in 2005.
The 63-year-old has urged the FIA and its stakeholders to consider the option after the regulations take place next year.
“This week’s F1 launch in London has triggered a lot of positive discussion on the future of the sport,” Ben Sulayem wrote on Instagram.
“While we look forward to the introduction of the 2026 regulations on chassis and power unit, we must also lead the way on future technological motorsport trends.
“We should consider a range of directions including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel.
“Whichever direction is chosen, we must support the teams and manufacturers in ensuring cost control on R&D expenditure.”
F1 CEO eyeing return to engines with ‘good sound’
It seems the FIA and F1 are aligned in their thinking, as Stefano Domenicali agrees with Ben Sulayem that there should be considerations of returning to the V10 era.
The Italian suggested last year that he would like to look at the alternatives to the current hybrid power units that would be usable in F1.
“If sustainable fuel is doing the right job to be zero emission and we are taking the point of sustainability in the right way – maybe we don’t need anymore to be so complicated or so expensive in terms of engine development,” Domenicali told Autosport.
“So we may think to go back to engines that are much lighter and maybe with a good sound.”
Whilst it would be a popular decision amongst the old-school F1 fanbase, the question remains whether the sport’s manufacturers would be open to the idea.
E-fuels are expensive and inefficient compared to electric and hybrid models, as the current works manufacturers in F1 have shown no desire to move away from the hybrid formula as of late.
The founder of Zero Petroleum, Paddy Lowe, thinks dropping hybrids in the future wouldn’t be a good idea for F1.
Lowe, the CEO of the carbon-neutral synthetic fuel company, spoke about the return of V10s on the latest episode of the James Allen on F1 podcast.
“I’ve seen that idea for a very long time, actually, and there’s an element of that [vision] in the formation of our company Zero,” Lowe explained.
“[But] Formula 1 is a hybrid formula today, that is actually a very good solution for mainstream automotive, I think.”
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