FIA president calls for single fuel supplier for F1 – Is Formula one finally getting its act together as fr as long term planning is concerned? 2026 will see the beginning of a new F1 power unit era as the current V6 hybrid turbo power units receive a substantial makeover. Gone are the expensive and complicated heat recovery systems and the electrical power output will be upped 300% to deliver 50% of the total BHP.

There remain concerns that the required level of electrical output will be tough to deliver at certain circuits, where braking is low and the corners are high speed. Back in 2023 Christian Horner raised the spectacle of “Frankenstein” cars which run the internal engine at times merely as a generator to produce electrical power.

Earlier this year, the FIA president proposed ditching the new hybrid powertrains all together to replace them with normally aspirated V10’s running on sustainable fuel. However, at least two powertrain suppliers refused this proposal with Audi stating the reason they joined F1 was because of the new engine architecture.

 

Bio fuel the answer?

Mercedes too are skeptical over binning the powertrain design which delivered them eight consecutive constructor titles and their high performance powertrains division in Brixworth continues to perpetuate the line that the new Mercedes 2026 power unit will be the best in the field.

F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali has made a number of statements around the future of F1 power suggesting the current expensive powertrains were a result of political manoeuvring. Further, if the decisions were being made today, the Italian argues a very different solution would be found.

The FIA working party to develop the new power trains was initiated back in 2017, but the proposed introduction of new powertrains in F1 slipped and slipped until 2021 became 2026. While Honda and Audi remain keen on the future of electrical power for their core road car business, it appears there is a far better solution to solving the world’s carbon emission issues, and it is bio fuel that will revolutionise the world.

For the new breed of hybrid and electrically powered cars to dominate the global market for vehicles, would take almost half a century to remove the 2 billion vehicles currently in action across the world. Bio fuel on the other hand offers a relatively cheap conversion opportunity for existing petrol and diesel combustion engines which over the course of a decade could be applied to the global stock of existing vehicles.

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Cheaper power units

There was a strange move in the F1 force earlier this year, when Cadillac were confirmed by the FIA as an authorised power unit supplier come 2029. Their original target was to be building their own powertrain come 2028, so what happened? With the FIA and FOM now aligned on the future of F1 power returning to the old combustion engine technologies, the current manufacturers are clearly having their wings clipped.

The usual cycle for an F1 engine is no less than four to five seasons, however the will now exists amongst the sport’s regulators and the commercial rights holder to move from the current eye wateringly expensive power units to something more economical. At the British Grand Prix, Mohammed Ben Sulayem updated assembled media on the drive to change the sport’s power units sooner rather than later.

Three years is now believed to be the time required for the current manufacturers to recap some of the significant research and development costs they’ve sunk into the 2026 programme and so 2029 – co-incidentally when Cadillac become authorised by F1 – is the new target for the next change in F1 power.

“The V8… is it happening?” Asked Ben Sulayem in a rhetorical question amongst assembled media in 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.

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Time is running out for the change

“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.”

Theres been a shift in the force at the FIA under Ben Sulayam. Gone is the Todt driven passion to recruit ever more power unit manufacturers to F1 and there’s even the threat to the huge road car builders that their barriers to entry will be removed and a third party operator like Cosworth can be invited to the party. The FIA president claimed the fall in cost by cancelling the complex V6 turbo hybrids would be at least 50% with additional side benefits for F1 racing.

“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,” claimed Ben Sulayem.

He also revealed that the conversation is ongoing as to the specification of the new combustion engines, whether they be V8 or V10 – 2.5 litres or 3 litres, “Who cares?” He asked. “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.”

 

 

Sustainable fuels is the FIA’s focus

“So, hopefully, by 2029, we will have something there. But the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive.” Ben Sulayem went on to state electrification was no loner the target for the FIA and went on to emphasise the global impact of F1 developing affordable sustainable fuels instead of building generators for electrical power.

“Hybrid, hydrogen, sustainable fuel, synthetic fuel… as long as we reach it. But then it simplifies the engine, simplifies the car,” Said the FIA president.

He further reiterated the idea floated by Stefano Domenicali that in the new era of 2026 power trains, one team must not be allowed to “run away with it” as did Mercedes in 2014. Further Be Sulayem appears to want to simplify some of the sport’s complexities and is even considering doing term a single fuel supplier. 

“And if we do that, the key is to make it cheaper, and there are so many areas to make it cheaper, with fuel, and a single supplier for so many things that we have to look into because now the teams are realising that it [F1] is getting very expensive,” the Emirate concluded.

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Further Piastri “erratic driving” examined by the race stewards

Piastri “erratic driving” was repeatedly examined by Silverstone stewards – McLaren and Oscar Piastri emerged from the 2025 Formula One British Grand Prix with a stain on their reputation. Both Zak Brown and team principal Andreas Stella were unhappy with how the stewards interpreted the sporting regulations deploying a number of excuses as to why the ten second penalty was “harsh.”

As the lights on the sate car went out for the second restart of the Grand Prix, Piastri accelerated and then braked heavily causing Verstappen to sail on by in the slippery conditions and poor visibility.

McLaren complained the lights on the safety car were late to go out on that fateful second restart lap, thus not allowing the drivers to warm the tyres properly and resulted in Piastri needing to quickly create a gap to the safety car for the restart…. READ MORE