Ben Sulayem insists on V8s: “780 horsepower, nice sound and affordable price to support F1”

V8, very strongly V8 Not even time to put the engines of the technical revolution on the track which already – after just three races – are being taken for action and even thinking – for the 2027 season – of new corrective measures. Not only that: it is no mystery that the leaders of Formula 1 feel a certain fascination for V8 engines and that the future passes through a return to a welcoming and successful past, noisy but also more efficient and ecological, between sustainable petrol and a little (but not too much) electrification. It is no mystery that this is the idea of ​​Stefano Domenicali, and even of the FIA ​​president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, for once aligned with the great boss of the GP paddock. Thus, while the ADUO results for the first developments of the current power units have yet to be communicated, we are already thinking about the medium and long-term future. Click here to add Formula Passion as your favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily! Mohammed Ben Sulayem speaks “If we consider the impact of car racing on a global level – says Ben Sulayem when asked about the engines of the future in a long video interview published by Forbes – I believe it is 0.02% per year. But we, as a federation, have a responsibility. We always say that we are not part of the problem but we must be part of the solution. And with sustainable fuel, which is already available, we can now build in the right way. Let’s look at our old engine (the V6 turbo hybrid on the track since 2014 to 2025, ed.) it’s practically the same as the current engine, but we removed the MGU-H and now we only have the MGU-K as the electric motor. But we need simplicity, it’s the key to moving forward. The question of costs “I’m thinking about it – adds the FIA president – because at the end of 2030 the FIA will regain the power to decide on the engine without even having to go through a team vote. But we would like to do it a year earlier to have financial advantages by reducing costs. Today research and development costs over 200 million euros, for God’s sake! And these power units are not seen in normal cars. Now there is also a certain rethinking, with the whole world looking at electric vehicles differently. Is it the only way to get where we want, that is, to a cleaner environment? No, it’s not the only way, there are others, we can think of inserting a small electric motor and making it even cleaner”. “We are working with the teams to make sure that the new engine is affordable, so that you no longer have to pay a million and a half euros for an engine. Who can afford a transmission, which now costs 9 million? We need to have a good basis, but these are the current costs. This is where the role of the FIA comes in. So I am sure that we will have a good engine, sustainable for the level of competition, and that an engine like this is now feasible. It will also be light, because one of the worst things for a driver, and I have been a driver, is the weight. Look how big the cars are, yet now they weigh 30kg less, even if it’s not enough. Let’s bring them to around 600-620kg. With a 780 horsepower engine, a nice sound, an affordable price… this is how we can best support F1.”

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-15 03:00:33