Throughout the nearly 30-minute chat, Ben Sulayem explained the switch back to V8s is driven by three main factors: cost, weight, and purity for drivers and fans alike. But at its core, Ben Sulayem pointed out that even following the updates to the 2026 regulations, F1\u2019s current hybrid V6 powertrain is still a vision of the future that was conceived all the way back in 2013. Technology has changed, the pressures on the sport\u2019s manufacturers have changed, and so have the ways F1 can feasibly reach its goals for financial security, environmental sustainability, and heart-pounding racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now have this engine, which is a 1.6-liter, and it did what it had to do, in a way, but think it\u2019s the 14th year and we still have it, you know?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that for the sake of the sustainability of the business\u2014the cost, the efficiency, the lighter weight, the sound for the fans\u2014I think [the V8] ticks many boxes,\u201d he said. \u201cThe MGUH was, at the time, the future, but now it\u2019s not. Now we\u2019re using the MGUK, with the battery with a turbo and 1.6-liter, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"ISTANBUL,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2272259902.jpg\")
Getty Images Anadolu via Getty<\/p>\n
The new V8 will certainly be \u201ca bit\u201d of a hybrid, as Ben Sulayem put it, but the advent of sustainable fuels has opened the door to bigger, cheaper engines more in line with what fans what to hear from the pinnacle of motorsport. \u201cWith all due respect, electrification is not the only solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ben Sulayem went on to share some early technical specs for the V8, as if to emphasize that this isn\u2019t the FIA\u2019s \u201cidea of the month\u201d whipped up in response to complaints about how the current regulations and their 50\/50 split between gas and electric power have altered the on-track action. These included potential displacement, horsepower rating, and the target energy split. Spoiler alert: It\u2019s not 50\/50.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, you have to get the power,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t get the power with less than a 2.5- or 2.6-liter, so you\u2019re talking about between 2.6- to 3.0 liters. Then, having a 10% [energy split], you will get to 880 horsepower, but then the car [gas engine] will be about 650 hp, 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\u2019d be the heads, and revs, so if you\u2019re a bit high, it will be annoying to young kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want it to be over 15,500 to 16,000 rpm,\u201d he added. \u201cOnce 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\u2019s not about the noise adaptation of the sound. It\u2019s more than that, it\u2019s the price [of development] will just jump, because then you are after that refinement, which is very expensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be that [a 10% to 20% electric power split], it\u2019s not more than that. Not at all,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
Despite Ben Sulayem\u2019s past comments about the viability of V8s being met with skepticism by teams, he said it\u2019s only a question of when, not if this will happen. The new V8 could arrive in 2030 if four of F1\u2019s six power unit manufacturers\u2014Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Honda, Audi, Red Bull Ford, and Alpine Racing\u2014vote to approve it. If they don\u2019t, Ben Sulayem said the FIA will use its power to unilaterally force the change for 2031. But he\u2019s equally confident the manufacturers are getting on board following a number of previously undisclosed meetings between the governing body and technical teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, of course they are. It will happen in 2031, but I want to bring it one year earlier. In 2031, the FIA\u2026 can put any engine it sees is the right one\u2014you 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bigger picture, Ben Sulayem said switching to a less-complicated V8 will encourage other teams to begin building their own engines\u2014\u201dWe\u2019re talking about easier to build, cheaper, and reliable units\u2026 really, it is a no-brainer.\u201d\u2014swelling the manufacturer ranks, further reducing the number of teams who depend on their competitors\u2019 technology to participate in the sport. He then pointed to McLaren as a prime example.<\/p>\n
![\"SUZUKA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2273258073.jpg\")
Artur Widak via Getty <\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that when we introduce it, I feel that even McLaren will do their own engine. They wouldn\u2019t be going to others, because [the reason] why they are going to others is because it is a complicated power unit. They say, \u2018We better go and buy what is available, than introduce [our] new engine.\u2019 We [the FIA] says, these are the rules; we just put a ceiling for them, and make sure the teams don\u2019t exceed in the R&D, except what is allocated to them with the cost cap,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
This makes a lot of sense in theory, but whether McLaren Racing has any desire or capacity to build its own F1 power unit remains to be seen. Sure, McLaren Automotive already has some of the world\u2019s best high-performance V8s, all of them turbocharged. And McLaren hasn\u2019t exactly been happy with how Mercedes has been treating them as a customer<\/a>, feeling they were left with unanswered questions about the power unit\u2019s performance while Mercedes dominated the first few races of the season.<\/p>\n
![\"SHANGHAI,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2265814727.jpg\")
Artur Widak via Getty <\/p>\n