Formula 1 is moving closer to a return to V8 engines, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem giving a firm assurance that the sport will adopt the formula in the near future. The change would represent a major shift away from the highly electrified 2026 Formula 1 power-unit regulations, with the FIA favouring an engine concept that is cheaper, lighter and less complex while still retaining a smaller electrical element.
Max Verstappen had already pointed to 2030 as a potentially decisive year for Formula 1’s technical future. “I hope that by 2030 another possibility can open up, perhaps with the arrival of V8 engines. I have no idea what will happen, but my future depends on the direction F1 wants to take,” the Dutch driver explained when discussing one of the reasons behind his decision to renew his Red Bull contract until 2030.
That date may therefore be far from coincidental. It could become the turning point at which Formula 1 moves back towards a predominantly combustion-based engine after the long period dominated by hybrid power units.
Formula 1 V8 engines emerge as an answer to current dissatisfaction
There is no denying that the direction Formula 1 took in 2026, with the ambitious pursuit of a power unit divided almost equally between combustion and electric power, continues to generate dissatisfaction within the paddock. The balance between the two elements has fundamentally changed how the current engines operate, with the electrical side of the 2026 Formula 1 power unit playing a far greater role than in the previous generation.
Many of the strongest defenders of the current regulations, including Toto Wolff, now appear to be moving closer to those who would prefer Formula 1 to progress towards another concept, even with improvements to the present rules already planned for the next two years.
Stefano Domenicali recently confirmed the unanimous intention to converge towards new V8 engines. They would still be partly supported by electrical power, but the hybrid contribution would be significantly smaller than under the current power-unit formula.
Discussions are already under way, as had previously been known, but there is now another significant development. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has offered firm assurances that agreement should be reached in the relatively near future, both over the technical questions and the timing of the change.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem promises V8 engines will return
“V8 engines are coming. And they will arrive soon,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem told MediaTuerca. “I have decided that we will move forward with V8 engines and that is what will happen. We need them for many reasons: they cost less, they sound good, they are lighter and less complex. And that is exactly what we need.”
The FIA president believes simplifying Formula 1’s engine architecture could benefit both the championship commercially and motorsport more broadly, while still leaving room for technological development.
“Simplicity is good for business and for motorsport. Simplicity and innovation, that is exactly what we are doing. And now I can promise you: V8 engines are coming,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem concluded.
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