The FIA has issued a press release following the FIA World Council meeting held in Geneva. Regarding power units, there is no mention of reducing the number of engines to three, as had been suggested, especially considering that the calendar will expand to 24 Grands Prix.
Many manufacturers opposed the proposal that was brought to the F1 Commission because reducing the annual limit to three units would have required extending the life of the current power units, imposing significant additional work that was not budgeted for in the upcoming year. All the more so when the focus is on the introduction of the 2026 engines.
In this context, following the work carried out by the relevant committees and working groups, the World Council has approved various refinements to the sporting, technical, and financial regulations for the 2026 power units with the agreement of the manufacturers.
Some of the most pressing issues concern the supply of power units to new teams, such as Andretti Racing, which has already passed the FIA’s initial evaluation but now has to face the hurdle of F1 promoters contending with the opposition of the majority of teams in the Championship.
Another sensitive topic pertains to fuel development. In an interview at the Italian Grand Prix, Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s Single-Seater Technical Director, assured that they intended to leave research into zero-emission fuels like e-fuel or biofuel unrestricted.
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Now there seems to be a push towards selecting a single supplier to avoid Formula 1 becoming a battleground for oil companies. It appears that no final decisions have been made, possibly because focusing on a single fuel type would exclude brands that invest heavily in Formula 1. Therefore, the issue is complex and needs to be considered not only from a purely technical perspective but also from political and financial angles.
More information might become available after the next World Council meeting scheduled for December 6 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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