‘FIA is pushing to introduce V8 engines by 2029 in Formula One’
Formula One is still in talks regarding the 50-50 power output split in new engines that are set to be implemented as of 2026. However, the FIA is reportedly pushing for the new engines to be put aside earlier than expected as per Auto, Motor und Sport.
The new power units and the regulation behind it have been criticised as the 50-50 power output split between the internal combustion component and the hybrid side has been described as unusual and inconsistent.
Some drivers have alluded to the cars’ top speeds at the end of the straights dwindling, while the power deployment has been suggested to be inconsistent throughout a lap.
The costs attached to their development are also a matter under dispute, with each manufacturer being allowed a $130 million budget directed solely into the power units.
'F1 goes the V8 route with Red Bull and Cadillac's support'
According to a report by Auto Motor und Sport, the dye has been cast, and the chosen engines to replace the upcoming 2026 spec power units will be 2.4 litre V8s.
The proposed V8 engines would also have a hybrid component, which would, however, be scaled back to a position in between the current engines and the 2026 ones, with a deployment ranging from 220 to 240 kilowatts of power. These engines would run on a CO2-neutral fuel which is to be burned with a pre-chamber ignition process in a fuel-saving mode.
With Red Bull and Cadillac as suggested supporters of the FIA in the initiative, at least according to the German website, the date for the change is set to be 2029, at the governing body’s behest.
Audi and Honda to veto the initiative?
Audi and Honda reportedly feel that three years under the current regulations will be far too little given the high costs associated with the investment that is being injected into the upcoming power units.
For Mercedes the case seems to be more clear-cut, since the German manufacturer are rumoured to be ahead of the other OEMs in terms of performance in the 2026 power units.
As other manufacturers, including Ferrari reportedly, are calling for a reduction in terms of the electrical side’s 50% of power output responsibility in the new engines, Mercedes are reportedly fixed on their stance to keep power ratios as is.
As of now, the German medium assures that there will be yet another power unit regulation summit during the Italian Grand Prix, where all manufacturers, along with the FIA, will look to strike an agreement for the upcoming 2026 regulations as well as for the following regulations, which as of yet aren’t due until 2031, when the 2026 power unit regulations have run their course.
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