FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is certain: ‘The V8 is coming’. The Emirati confirms the return of the beloved engine by 2031 at the latest, when the next F1 regulations come into effect. Ben Sulayem explains how the governing body can bring back the V8 even without the consent of the engine manufacturers: ‘In 2031, the FIA will have the authority to do this’.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem had previously expressed his desire to bring back the widely loved V8 and V10 engines to Formula 1, provided they use sustainable fuels. At the time, the idea was dismissed by several engine suppliers of the top class. Meanwhile, opinions have reportedly shifted, partly due to the high costs associated with the current power units.
“They are coming back,” Ben Sulayem confirms to the media about the return of the V8 and V10 engines. “Ultimately, it’s just a matter of time. In 2031, the FIA will have the authority to do this, without the engine manufacturers needing to vote on it. That is what the regulation states. But we want to introduce it a year earlier, something everyone outside the organization is now asking for. If you try to explain it to the engine manufacturers, they say no, but what is coming, is coming, and the authority will return to the FIA.”
Regarding the reason for the return of the engines, the FIA President says: “Let’s not talk about the technical side. Let’s talk about the mission. The mission will be less complicated, not like now. When the MGU-H was there before, it had a purpose, but none of the manufacturers actually benefited from it. Now, with only the MGU-K, it’s the same engine. It’s a turbo engine, 1.6 liters.”
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V8 engines
Ben Sulayem also immediately explains why the V8 engine will return before the V10. “The most popular and easiest engine to work with is the V8. You get the sound, less complexity, and it’s lightweight,” says the Emirati. “You will hear more about it very soon. It will also involve a very, very small electrification (associated with the engine, ed.), but the engine will be central. It won’t be like it is now, a 46-54 split. There will be very little electric power.”
The FIA President hopes to introduce the engine one year before the new regulations, in 2031. According to Ben Sulayem, the engine manufacturers are also becoming increasingly enthusiastic. “They also want this to happen. But let’s say the manufacturers still don’t vote for it, then we just wait a year and it will happen anyway. It’s not a question of: ‘Do I need their support?’ No, it’s just going to happen. The V8 is coming.”
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