F1’s power unit manufacturers are set to hold a meeting to discuss a proposal to switch to simplified V8 engines over the coming seasons.
The power unit manufacturers involved in the F1 2026 regulation cycle are set to convene for a discussion around future engine regulations next week in London.
Power unit manufacturers set to meet to discuss V8 return
Representatives for the five power unit manufacturers on the grid in F1 2026 are set to meet in London in the week following the Italian Grand Prix, with discussions regarding future regulations scheduled for Thursday.
These discussions are understood to focus on the introduction of a new, simplified, engine formula, utilising a 2.4-litre V8 with reduced electrification.
It’s believed that a general consensus has already been reached in advance of the meeting, with the indications being that the V8 will return – the question mark being over whether or not the engine is introduced for 2029 or ’30.
This would mean dropping the upcoming power units after just three or four seasons, a vastly shorter rules cycle than the existing engine rules which ran between 2014 and ’25.
A new engine formula is on the way for F1 2026, with an evolved version of the 1.6-litre V6 hybrid architecture being utilised, alongside the introduction of sustainable fuels.
With the removal of the MGU-H from the hybrid ancillaries, the new F1 power units are set to be close to a 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and the electrical components, with the electrical output being 350kW at peak.
But the upcoming regulations have resulted in significant compromises being required on the chassis and aerodynamic side in order to ensure the laptimes remain roughly comparable to today, albeit with this performance being delivered in a different fashion as active aerodynamics will see the cars switch between X-mode (low drag) and Z-mode (high downforce).
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The introduction of sustainable fuels, which will see the removal of fossil fuels from use, means running high-efficiency hybrid engines with increased electrification is less critical to F1’s increasingly green agenda as part of its push to reach carbon net zero by 2030.
To that end, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem earlier this year proposed a return to the high-revving naturally-aspirated V10 engines, which were last used in 2005, or a V8 design as used between 2006 and ’13.
The suggestion led to serious discussions amongst the members of the F1 Commission, ie. the teams and power unit manufacturers along with the FIA and FOM, about whether or not to abandon the upcoming engine regulations entirely, in order to bring back the V10 or V8 to simplify the formula, reduce costs, and re-capture an element of nostalgia due to the visceral noise these engines create.
A working group was established to evaluate a V10 powertrain running on sustainable fuel, but pushback from the power unit manufacturers who have invested huge sums of money to prepare for the new formula meant that the idea for an immediate switch was put aside to take a more measured approach to a possible change.
It’s understood that Honda, which returns as a full-fledged engine manufacturer next season, as well as Audi, debuting as a team and engine manufacturer in 2026, are the most averse to the possibility of a 2029 introduction.
Following the initial discussions of the F1 Commission on the topic earlier this year, Audi said, “Our aim is to help shape a sustainable and future-oriented form of motorsport that leverages cutting-edge technologies—benefiting not only Formula 1 but also Audi’s broader technological development which we see reflected in the 2026 power unit regulations.
“Audi remains fully committed to entering Formula 1 from 2026 onwards, with power unit technology built around three key pillars: highly efficient engines, advanced hybrid electrification, and the use of sustainable fuels.”
“Honda’s desire for F1 to remain the pinnacle of motorsports remains unchanged,” Watanabe explained to Japanese outlet AS-Web at Silverstone.
“We will continue to discuss what power unit is appropriate for that. Honda’s current position is that we believe that electrification is a very important element in moving towards a sustainable future.”
But Mercedes, Ferrari, and Ford/Red Bull Powertrains are understood to be more open to the idea of a different engine formula being introduced more quickly than the original schedule of running to the end of F1 2030 with the new hybrids, although at least one of these three has indicated a preference to run the full five years to maximise the investment made.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com about the topic, Ford’s director of Global Performance Mark Rushbrook said that compromise between all the involved parties is likely.
“We go in [to F1] as a stakeholder of the sport, and we will go in with our opinion of what is important to us, but we also know there needs to be a lot of give and take,” he said when asked about the possibility of a new engine formula in the future.
“And we expect the same from the other manufacturers, and we generally see that from the other manufacturers, because, again, they’re there generally for the long haul, and they they know the same thing. There’s got to be a lot of give and take.”
In July, Ben Sulayem said a switch to a V8 is the “right way to go” for Formula 1, who said the F1 teams have started to realise the benefits of the idea once some of the cost of the research, development, and production of the new hybrids is recouped across a few years.
“The V8… is it happening?” he said during a round-table discussion with select media, including PlanetF1.com, at Silverstone.
“Yes, with the team now, I’m very optimistic, happy about it, and FOM (Formula One Management) is supportive.
“The teams are realising that it is the right way.
“When I brought up V6, V8, V10, or V12, it was an idea… it’s to sustain the business. The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea. And it is costly. R&D is reaching 200 million.
“An engine is costing approximately 1.8 to 2.1 million [dollars], so if we go on with a straight V8, many of the manufacturer and OEMS produce V8s in their cars, so commercially, it’s correct.
“How much do you drop it [the cost]? The target is more than 50 percent in everything. But then you sustain what you have. Then the teams can afford it.
“Much cheaper, lighter by 90 to 100 kilogrammes, which means that what we can add more safety in, which is worth 50 kilograms, is going to be even less.
“The worst thing to a driver is the mass weight, the car will be smaller and it will be better, and then the sound, you will have it.
“So, really, that is the way to go. It’s cutting costs. People think that Formula 1 is unlimited money, but not all the teams. So this is something now we are having the buy-in.”
The specifics, he suggested, are trivialities in the bigger scheme of such a switch, as he offered a possible timeline as to when a naturally aspirated engine could return.
“The only thing we have to tweak is with the technicals, is it 2.5, 2.6, or 3 litre? Who cares? Is it a V8 or V10? It’s depending on the teams,” he said.
“We consult with them, and then we listen to them. We need to do it soon. When I say soon, I mean… 2026 is coming. It will take at least…you need three years.
“So, hopefully, by 2029, we will have something there.”
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