Is the future of F1 with V8 engines?
The president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, did not mince words: the engines of the future will most likely be hybrid V8s, more powerful, louder, lighter than the current power units, fueled with sustainable fuels and with a power ratio between thermal and electric much more skewed in favor of the combustion part. An idea that also appeals to some car manufacturers, especially those producing supercars and who already have partially electrified V8 engines in their lineup. The reaction of Audi is different, which, according to some paddock rumors, would be the F1 manufacturer that, together with Honda, opposed Ben Sulayem’s idea of bringing forward the debut of the new technical cycle already in 2029 or 2030.
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Audi F1, Mattia Binotto holds back for now
And while Toto Wolff immediately declared himself enthusiastic about the idea of returning to V8s – moreover a rather strong stance, considering he represents the manufacturer that, at least for the moment, has the greatest technical advantage with the current technology – in fact the team principal and Audi F1 project leader, Mattia Binotto, in Miami expressed a less enthusiastic opinion about the idea of changing course: “What will the future be? I think it is too early to say. Certainly, we have started discussing it with the FIA and I think we will sit at a table to discuss what is best for Formula 1”.
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“I would not be – adds Binotto – really that negative about the current regulations, on the contrary I think overall it can be said that it is a good format. We have recently slightly modified the rules to perfect it, trying to improve it. Maybe we will do more in the future and in the coming seasons, but I think we should also be somewhat positive about what we see. And, looking at the past, I think there have been eras when Formula 1 was more boring. We have always sought high-efficiency engines and I think this is important for Audi, but certainly we will discuss with F1 and FIA about what will be the best compromise for the future”.
