Red Bull driver Max Verstappen would love to see a return of the V10 engines that last graced the sport previously, as manufacturer’s met last week to discuss the next gen engines for F1.

Ever since the current formula came into force in 2014, there has been mass amounts of criticism over the lack of noise from the V6 hybrid engines. A large majority of fans who attend live grand prix’s, do so on the noise factor alone, or did so.

The FIA and the all the teams acknowledged the lack of noise from the new engines once the 2014 season got under way. We also saw some effort from the teams to raise the noise via modified exhausts, Mercedes were the first to blink as they trialled a ‘trumpet’ exhaust during in-season testing that year. This failed to raise the decibels, and for 2016 a small mod to the turbo waste gate was made, all in the name of noise.

Are V10 engines the answer? Max appears to think so! F1 last saw V10’s back in 2005 , when normally aspirated engines screamed at close to 20K RPM, later restricted to 18K.

“I think it would be very nice to have a V10 engine or something, with the lovely sound,” Verstappen told Motorsport.com.

“[The current engines are] nice for me in the car, but I think it’s not really impressive for the fans, if you compare it to a V10 or V12.”

Where does the future of F1 lie engine wise? Surely all this hybrid investment cannot be wiped away, and return back to V8’s or V10’s for the sake of noise levels? Back to 150Kg of fuel wouldn’t appease the ‘tree huggers’ out there either. Max was adamant that F1 shouldn’t adapt an ‘all electric’ approach moving forwards.

“Let’s keep things how they are for the next 15 years. I would be fine with that,” he said. “After that they can make the whole thing completely electric.

“After that I’m going to do other things”, Verstappen added. “I already have some things in my mind I would like to do, but of course this is still quite far away.”

“I hope that the sport is still using a petrol engine by then. One that also makes some sound.”

It will certainly be interesting to see where Formula One goes in the future under the leadership of Liberty Media. Does F1 remain the ‘pinnacle’ of technology, or does F1 turn more into an entertainment business? Raise the bar vs. raise the noise.

Formula 1, the WWE of motor racing. We can’t please everyone.