The expected flood of auto manufacturers coming into Formula One as the FIA once hoped for never quite materialised. Porsche fell out with prospective partners Red Bull, who have now gone it alone with some assistance from Ford to build their own next generation of F1§ power unit.
Whilst Audi did finally commit to joining the sport, the iconic Renault F1 power will disappear for now and their Alpine F1 team will buy Mercedes powertrains for the foreseeable future. So at best that’s a net gain of one manufacturer. By allowing the likes of Mercedes, Audi and Honda significant control over the design of the new era of F1 power, the FIA ceded its traditional role as the strategic guide to F1’s future. But a back lash is already underway.
The all new heavier V6 turbo hybrid powertrains coming in 2026 have already been criticised for being way too complex and ridiculously expensive when compared to other global racing series. Since the introduction of there hybrid era in 2014, F1 has become the R&D workshop for certain global auto manufacturers to experiment their future concepts on.
F1 new doctrine preached
Of course innovation has always been one of the fascinating aspects of Formula One, yet the model n power units are not the kind of thing a petrol head grease monkey can pour over with delight, unlike the V8 and V10 beasts of old.
There is a ‘power struggle’ underway in the spot currently, with F1 CEO calling for simpler and cheaper F1 power in the future. Backed by the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the sermon on the future of F1 is being increasingly preached across the paddock and it has a growing umber of disciples.
Such is the power of Domenicali’s new doctrine, remarkably short timescales have been suggested for the new V6 turbo hybrids, with V8 power replacing them as early as 2029. The fact that Cadillac originally planned to build a 2026 spec F1 Powertrains for 2028, but later was only licensed as an F1 engine producer in 2029 speaks volumes. Why would the American auto giant want to invest hundreds of millions in a project which may last not much more than a 1000 days?
The current turbo hybrid era has delivered efficiency and performance, but also spiralling costs, muted sound, and technical complexity that even engineers sometimes struggle to explain. Since its introduction in 2014, the V6 turbo-hybrid has divided opinion—praised for cutting-edge relevance, criticised for sterilising the sport’s character. Now, with fan sentiment shifting and both the FIA and FOM open to new ideas, a return to V8s looks more than just nostalgic wishful thinking.
Verstappen now explains his silence as Mercedes rumours grew
Fans overwhelming support ditching hybrids
Domenicali’s latest eulogy from the lectern comes amid growing pressure to reshape F1’s identity for the long term. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has openly voiced his preference for V8s, while even entertaining the prospect of V10s before admitting support was limited. For him, the path forward lies in reuniting Formula 1’s traditional appeal—the visceral sound and mechanical drama of high-revving engines—with modern demands for sustainability.
Fans appear overwhelmingly in agreement. A recent poll conducted by *The Race* revealed 86% of respondents in favour of bringing back V8 or V10 engines powered by sustainable fuels, compared to a meagre 7% who support retaining the current hybrids. Domenicali, responding to those findings on *The Race* F1 Podcast, suggested this direction matches what he has been advocating for years. “Sustainable fuel and a V8, I think, is great,” he said. “And hybridisation is, I do believe, the next step of the future.”
In other words, Formula 1 may finally be listening to its audience. As an aside, F1 missed the boat on being the first to use sustainable fuel and by the time the new 2026 behemoth F1 cars hit the track, the WEC will be in its fifth year of competition using bio fuel. F1’s extended enclave which first started in 2017 to specify there new era of F1 power, completely missed the boat whilst obsessing about huge increases in the contribution of electrical power.
Even Indycar has experimented with another sustainable idea for the future, an eco rubber made from the guayule desert shrub which is now used at street circuit events. Meanwhile the F1 manufacturers were wrangling over mortar hybrid power, which appears to have become synonymous with F1 racing.
Visceral sounds to return to F1 races
Formula One should return to an era of yesterday, without tarnishing its image as the racing series for the future and if the manufacturers don’t wish to play ball, then their leverage can be smashed by a return to simple combustion engines with a mild hybrid – KERS – style unit, together with bio fuels. This would allow specialist high performance companies like Cosworth to produce F1 power units and therefore smash the cabal who monopolise the future direction of Formula One.
Yes, the V6 turbo hybrids have delivered performance records—these cars are the fastest in the sport’s history—but at what cost? Teams have spent fortunes developing intricate power units, with manufacturers forced to chase marginal efficiency gains in areas far removed from the visceral thrill that attracted fans in the first place. The engines are whisper-quiet compared to the screaming V8s and V10s that came before, their noise swallowed by turbochargers and energy recovery systems.
For drivers, the challenge of F1 has become less about raw bravery and more about energy deployment maps, battery states, and throttle lift points. The theatre of Formula 1 risks being reduced to a spreadsheet exercise, and fans have noticed. The hybrid era has also driven smaller manufacturers out of contention, with Honda’s on-again off-again involvement a symptom of just how complex and costly this formula has been.
By contrast, a hybridised V8 running on carbon-neutral fuel could deliver the best of both worlds: noise, simplicity, and drama alongside sustainability and technical credibility. Further cost cutting could be achieved by standardising certain components which must currently be designed and built by each individual team. Gearboxes, bio fuel and even batteries could become standardised and provided by a single supplier to all competitors.
Increase the use of standardised components
This is currently the case with the Control units which are of FIA specification and built by McLaren technologies. So clearly where there’s a will, there’s a way. Domenicali was candid about the logic. “The gearbox is not any more relevant in terms of performance,” he noted. “At the end of the day, the different gearboxes are in the range of a 0.001s delta. The only problem is reliability and cost.”
Domenicali believes F1 could define itself from the WEC by turning to hydrogen. There are many smaller programmes around the world trying to harness the power of hydrogen for travel, maybe half a billion from the F1 manufacturers could crack the technology wide open. “This could be a possibility, but not in the next 10 years,” he explained. “There are also safety complexities with regards to racing. We don’t have to forget that motorsport is motorsport, it is not mobility.”
While the FIA’s Extreme H off-road series continues to develop, and hydrogen prototypes flirt with Le Mans entries, the timeline remains far beyond what F1 can realistically embrace. For now, hydrogen remains an idea better suited to experimental projects than the pinnacle of global motorsport.
Mercedes “5 year advantage over everyone”
F1 ‘back to the future’
Domenicali’s words are carefully measured and behind them lies a political dance. Liberty Media, the FIA, and manufacturers each have different agendas. Liberty wants spectacle and fan engagement. The FIA wants technical credibility and sustainability. Manufacturers want relevance to road cars and don’t mind using F1 as their R&D workshop.
Moving to mild hybridised V8s with sustainable fuel ticks many of those boxes. It restores Formula 1’s emotional appeal, delivers environmental credentials, and simplifies technology. Yet this also compromises certain automakers like Mercedes, who built their brand dominance on the mastery of complex hybrids.
It may be against everything the FIA believes F1 should stand for, but it seems a ‘back to the future” approach is coming as the relentless talk of future F1 V8’s continues to gain momentum.
Pipeline of new F1 venues shrinks dramatically
Last week, non-other than the Prime Minister of Portugal announced he is preparing to bring Formula 1 back to the Algarve. Luis Montenegro confirmed that the country is ready to “formalise” the return of the championship to the Algarve International Circuit near Portimão in 2027.
Speaking at the political gathering Na Festa do Pontal, Montenegro highlighted the importance of major events in promoting the region. “One of the circumstances that most contributes to promoting this region is major events,” he said. “We have secured the MotoGP, the world’s premier motorcycling event, for 2025 and 2026. And I can tell you that we have everything ready to formalise the return of Formula 1 to the Algarve next year, in 2027.”
The Portimão circuit first hosted Formula 1 in 2020, stepping in during the COVID-19 pandemic as other venues found their countries had banned sporting events and the influx of foreign visitors. It returned in 2021 and quickly earned a reputation as a fan favourite, its sweeping elevation changes and technical layout delivering strong racing. Both races were won by Lewis Hamilton, including his record-breaking 92nd career victory, which surpassed the total made by the legendary Michael Schumacher.
The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
