Formula 1’s 2026 power units divide their output almost equally between the internal combustion engine and the electrical system, yet after only one season the championship is already working towards changing that balance. Emanuele Pirro has given unequivocal support to the idea of returning to a more traditional combustion engine with significantly less electrification. For the former Formula 1 driver, now president of the FIA Single-Seater Commission, the current approach has gone too far: Formula 1’s environmental message can be delivered in other ways, while the engine itself could be simpler and sound better.
The power units introduced this year are the most electrified in Formula 1 history. The internal combustion engine produces around 400 kW, while the electrical system can deliver up to 350 kW, creating a split that is close to 50-50 and is already under discussion after just one season. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing for a return to a more traditional combustion engine, specifically a V8, while retaining a much smaller electrical component.
Emanuele Pirro, a former Formula 1 driver, five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi and now president of the FIA Single-Seater Commission, supports the idea without reservation:
“One hundred per cent, without a doubt. By now everyone has realised that this push to extremes in the balance between electric and combustion power has gone too far. I think the message Formula 1 needs to send, from the point of view of being eco-friendly, does not depend only on the electric share but can come through many other routes. So, without a doubt, I am in favour of an engine that sounds better, and is also simpler, if we want.”
Emanuele Pirro was speaking in a personal capacity and his view does not represent an official position of the FIA. However, coming from the president of an FIA commission, his assessment that electrification has “gone too far” carries a certain weight. It also partly reflects changes that are already taking place.
The first F1 power-unit correction arrives in 2027
In June, the FIA, Formula 1, the teams and power-unit manufacturers agreed on the first adjustment for 2027. The internal combustion engine will rise from 400 to 420 kW, while maximum MGU-K output will fall from 350 to 300 kW and fuel flow will increase by 5%. The resulting split will move to approximately 58% combustion power and 42% electrical power, before reaching an expected 60-40 balance in 2028. The full 2027 and 2028 Formula 1 power-unit rebalancing represents the first move away from the near-even distribution introduced this season.
To make the fuel-consumption calculations work without increasing fuel-tank size, the Formula 1 Commission subsequently approved in September a reduction in race distance from 305 to 290 kilometres, pending approval from the World Motor Sport Council.
The bigger change is expected to arrive with the following regulatory cycle. Based on the direction that has emerged in recent weeks, Formula 1 is moving towards a 3.0-litre V8, still turbocharged, with the electrical component reduced to around 100 kW and a complete power unit approximately 50 kilograms lighter. The timing remains open. The current regulations remain in force through the end of 2030, and bringing the change forward by one year would require the approval of at least four of the six power-unit manufacturers. From 2031, however, the FIA could make the decision independently. Mohammed Ben Sulayem is targeting a Formula 1 V8 return in 2030, with 2031 remaining the fallback date.
F1 V8 engines, sound and sustainable fuel
Emanuele Pirro knows well what he means by an “engine that sounds better”. He made his Formula 1 debut with Benetton in 1989, driving a car powered by a naturally aspirated Ford V8 during the first season after turbocharged engines had been removed from the championship.
On the environmental front, Formula 1 already has an argument that does not depend on battery power. Since 2026, the power units have run on 100% sustainable fuel produced from non-food biomass, municipal waste or carbon-capture processes. It is one of the alternatives Emanuele Pirro appears to have in mind when he argues that Formula 1 can communicate its environmental message “through many other routes”.
The remaining question is how quickly Formula 1 will move towards the V8. Honda returned this year with Aston Martin, Audi made its debut with its own engine and General Motors is working on the Cadillac power unit. For manufacturers that have invested heavily in the current regulations, shortening the cycle by one year would mean having less time over which to amortise that expenditure. Emanuele Pirro gave his answer without hesitation. The manufacturers will have more to consider.
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