Formula 1 is preparing to turn another major page in its technical history, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirming that V8 engines are expected to return in 2030. The plan would bring back an engine configuration last used in Formula 1 in 2013, although the next generation will be very different from the naturally aspirated units of that era.
The move is part of a broader vision for the championship’s future technical regulations, with the FIA pushing towards lighter cars, lower development costs, synthetic fuels and a reduced electrical component. Ben Sulayem had already indicated in recent months that he wanted the V8 format introduced no later than 2031 and was working to bring the timetable forward to 2030.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirms 2030 target for F1 V8 engines
Speaking in Kigali, Rwanda, in connection with plans for Formula 1’s return to Africa, Mohammed Ben Sulayem made the 2030 target explicit. The FIA president said: “The good thing about 2030 is that we are working together. The launch of the new V8 will be in 2030, so Rwanda will have this engine in its first race.”
Ben Sulayem also outlined several wider objectives linked to the next technical era. “We need light cars, around 80 kg lighter. The second aspect to consider is sustainability: there will be at least 50% less investment in research and development and in the engine. And then it is important for the fans to have a sound, and not a noise,” he added.
The FIA president also indicated that the project has broad institutional and manufacturer backing. “I have the support of FOM, F1 and the manufacturers, so I am sure we will have them in 2030.”
Turbo V8 engines, synthetic fuels and less electrification
The next-generation Formula 1 power units are expected to use turbocharged V8 engines running on synthetic fuels, with the electrical component reduced to a minimum. That would represent another major shift after the championship’s current hybrid era and would place greater emphasis on combustion-engine simplicity while maintaining a sustainability focus through the fuel specification.
The planned changes also fit with the FIA’s ambition to reduce the overall mass of the cars. Ben Sulayem specifically referenced a target of approximately 80 kg less than the current generation, a significant reduction that would alter the philosophy of future Formula 1 car design.
The wider technical direction can be viewed against the backdrop of the current 2026 Formula 1 era, which has already introduced a major new regulatory cycle before the championship moves towards another power-unit reset at the end of the decade.
Stefano Domenicali also backs Formula 1’s V8 direction
Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali has also welcomed the direction, with the Italian executive considering V8 engines the right path for the championship.
The proposal would therefore combine several priorities that have become increasingly important in discussions over Formula 1’s long-term future: reducing vehicle weight, lowering research and development costs, retaining sustainable fuel technology and improving the sound of the cars for fans.
If the 2030 plan proceeds as outlined, Formula 1 would return to a V8 architecture 17 years after the configuration disappeared from the championship, but with turbocharging, synthetic fuels and a much smaller electrical contribution creating a very different technical package from the engines used before 2014.
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