After one of the longest F1 engine eras, which stretched from 2014 to 2025, it appears the sport is now set to experience one of its shortest. If the FIA can get the manufacturers to agree to a return to V8 engines with a significantly reduced electrical boost, then the next generation of power unit regulations will begin in 2030.
Having failed to get the F1 engine manufacturers to agree to a 60/40 power output split in favor of the internal combustion engine, the FIA is in no mood to be dictated to as they were with the current engines. The irony is that the 60/40 split the FIA proposed at a big powwow in Bahrain in 2025 will come into force via a stepped arrangement by 2028.
This result is a big stick to beat the manufacturers with, given they were too short-sighted to see that the FIA’s proposal was the most reasonable route to make the much-despised current hybrid power units work effectively.
“No Longer in a Corner”: Domenicali Targets Manufacturer Power
When the all-new 2026 engines debuted in Melbourne, the mood music between the FIA and F1 was unanimous. These power units were a failure and had to go. Stefano Domenicali all but revealed F1 was in the sorry state it found itself in due to ceding its decision-making to the auto manufacturers:
“But we cannot be in a corner anymore where manufacturers can dictate the pace to the sport. That’s a lesson learned that I think will enable us, together with the FIA that is the main [body] responsible for regulation, the regulator, to find the right package that allows the two worlds to live, to coexist.”
He went on to claim that F1 ‘needs’ the manufacturers, but that F1 should never again find itself in a “take it or leave it” scenario, even mooting the possibility of an F1-approved independent supplier of a “white label” engine to prevent customer teams being forced to bend the knee to their engine supplier.
The Relevance Argument: Hybrids vs. Biofuels
The only public response from a manufacturer to the backlash against their new F1 hybrid-dominated engines came from Toto Wolff, who in belligerent fashion backed future power units to operate in a similar fashion. He insisted it must reflect road car relevance—which he claimed to be hybrid—otherwise the “real world” would not see the point of F1.
Yet another form of mass public transport used to be seen as relevant in the shape of horse racing. Just because the world adopted the automobile, horse racing did not become irrelevant to those who loved the sport. With European manufacturers being swamped by Chinese electric road cars, for Audi and Mercedes to claim the future is a hybrid future is tenuous.
In fact, the biggest impact on the next 30 years of road car use will be in the development of biofuels. With existing vehicles around the world numbering some 2 billion, an F1 solution to create affordable biofuel would have a thousand or more times the impact than the current net-zero agenda for F1 by 2030.
Toto Wolff’s “mega engine” proposal back in April was as follows:
“Maybe we can extract 800 horsepower from the ICE and put 400 on top of it, or more, in terms of electric energy. We are absolutely up for it, as long as those discussions happen in a structured way, and people’s considerations are taken on board.”
The FIA’s 2030 Deadline and Ben Sulayem’s Stand
Yet the FIA has, thankfully, a different vision for 2030/31. “You will hear about it very soon and it will be with a very, very minor electrification,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the weekend of the Miami Grand Prix.
When it was put to him that to enact a new era of F1 engines for 2030 required the acceptance of the manufacturers, Ben Sulayem was dismissive:
“I’m positive, they want it to happen. But let’s say the manufacturers don’t approve it [for 2030]. The next year, it will happen. In 2031 it’s done anyway. It will be done.”
The timescales are dependent on the cooperation of the manufacturers, and with Cadillac proposing to develop their version of the current powertrains for 2029, the future must be decided upon quickly. That said, TJ13 has consistently maintained that their General Motors-owned division will never go to the time and expense of developing one of these hybrid monsters, due to the lack of return in time it will receive for the massive investment required.
Driver Complaints and the Priority of Fans
More recently, it appeared the FIA and F1 were divided in their view of the future of F1 power, as Stefano Domenicali recently issued a slapdown to the likes of Lando Norris for again criticizing the current engines. “It’s a business. Everyone wants to make money… That’s not how a sport should be run,” said the current world champion in the run-up to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Domenicali responded with some level of disdain, citing polls from f1.com which claim the fans are happier with F1 racing in 2026 than they were last year when the drivers’ title went down to the wire—with Verstappen failing to close an impossible 104-point gap to just 2 come the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi.
In terms of the drivers persistently complaining about the much-hated 2026 F1 engines, Domenicali was insistent:
“And in that respect, as I said, you know very well how much I respect the jewel that is our drivers. But of course, they need to understand that there is one path we need to take together. And the fans are always a priority on top of everyone, even me. They [the drivers] can have a personal opinion, but I have the duty to make a summary of what is best for the sport.”
The Return of the V8: Taming the Manufacturers
As TJ reported, this appeared to be a shift in the F1 CEO’s position stated earlier this year. However, a subsequent interview reveals he, too, is prepared to back Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s ultimatum to the F1 manufacturers:
“I will rely on the FIA to prepare the right thing, and I do believe that by the end of this year, we’re going to be in a position to have a package ready to be discussed, because there are two options. If we wait until the end of the cycle to be finished, in 2031, there’s nothing that prevents the FIA from presenting a totally different regulation, and of course, if the teams want to be part of it, they can; otherwise, not. I’m exaggerating, but you understand the principle.”
Clearly, the discussions behind the scenes are moving away from Toto Wolff’s suggested mega-hybrid 1200 bhp F1 hybrid engine. The Mercedes boss admits the complexity of the current F1 power units is beyond what is required, and his comments suggest the FIA is winning the arguments on the future of F1 power:
“Mid-to-long-term, and speaking on the horizon of three to four years as it stands at the moment, we will go back to a combustion engine, which is more than 50% of the performance. Ben Sulayem wants an eight-cylinder V8, which is a good sound, and a more limited battery. I think it would be around 80:20 [in terms of power output in favor of the ICE over the battery], with an output of 1,000 horsepower. I’m not sure if it is going to be normally aspirated or not, but I think this is where Formula 1 goes at the moment, and me as a purist, I like it,” revealed Wolff.
Of course, ditching the turbo will cause a drop-off in F1 power in the region of 10-15%, but the weight saved will go towards the latest FIA goal of reducing the next generation of cars by at least 80 kilos. The engines will be less space-rocket engineered to deliver the most thermally efficient racing machines on the planet, but using sustainable fuel defeats the obvious carbon objections, and to keep weight down, in-race refueling is currently under consideration from the FIA.
It does appear the F1 manufacturers are being tamed by the FIA, with some assistance from F1, and the future of F1 power will not be based on the laboratory requirements of the global auto manufacturers—but on what is best for a racing spectacle.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
