In 2026, Formula 1 will once again change its engines, ushering in a new era and concluding the one that began in 2014 with hybrids. The category’s goal is to pollute less, aiming to be completely carbon net zero by 2030. What we will witness in a few years will be only the first step towards a more sustainable future.
Since F1’s inception, there have been many changes in power units over the decades, each with a distinct sound. In recent years, another complaint often raised by racing purists is about the sound produced by the new engines, now increasingly quieter. Today, we want to compare different historically used propulsion units to understand if this criticism has a valid basis.
Formula 1 engines over the years
The first F1 cars had the engine mounted in the front, with the classic “cigar” shape. In 1961, the power of the engine, moved to the rear of the car, was limited to 1500 cubic centimeters, then doubled from 1966. However, in the first transition season, many teams adopted a hybrid solution, the 2.0L V8 from BRM and Coventry-Climax.
A few years later, exactly in 1977, the first turbocharged V6 presented by Renault appeared. It was a real revolution. Ferrari introduced it in 1981, and over the years, all other teams did the same, leading to 1985 when all participants in the Formula 1 World Championship were equipped with the same type of power unit.
From 1990, they switched to naturally aspirated 3.5L engines capable of delivering 675 hp (503 kW) at 13,000 rpm, breaking the barrier of 200 hp per 1000 cc of displacement for the first time.
With the arrival of the new millennium, exactly from 2005, the FIA imposed a maximum of 5 valves per cylinder for the 3.0L V10 and required each car to use only one engine every two GPs. After just one year, they then switched to 2.4-liter V8s at 90°, with the aim of reducing power and costs. In this sense, the most recent developments also include the reduction to 18,000 rpm imposed in 2009, the obligation not to use more than 8 engines throughout the season, up to the current hybrid engines and constraints in terms of fuel consumption. This last choice has also reduced the perception of noise, precisely what all fans complain about. Entering the hybrid era from 2014 to today, 1.6L – V6 90° turbo power units have been used, even quieter than their predecessors.
If we compare a current car with one from the past, we can immediately notice that the typical “roar” of a Formula 1 has been greatly reduced, even though the cars have gained in top speed. Many spectators, however, would like to return to the past to relive the experience of hearing those single-seaters in the racetrack while battling to win GPs.
Looking to the future, the 2026 power units will be increasingly electric. The power distribution will be equally generated by the combustion unit and the electric part. Furthermore, due to the high costs of production and the difficulty of mass production, the MGU-H will disappear from the engines, and thus, the specter of turbo lag will return, as already happened in the ’80s. We will see if this choice proves successful; meanwhile, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, has promised that the engines will be “Louder than the current ones.”
Formula 1 Engines Compared
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