The FIA shares details of the big meeting that took place in Bahrain regarding the future engine formula in F1 beyond the next regulation.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem made his first visit to a F1 grand prix this weekend in Bahrain, but his larger interest was the discussions around the future engine formula beyond the regulation that comes into picture from 2026 onward.
In the lead-up to the meeting, the debate around the V10 power unit has made headlines albeit using sustainable fuel. There has been mixed response from the F1 community. Despite some news cycle of 2026 change, the FIA affirmed of no change.
There were reports of F1 retaining the current formula for 2026 in order to bring the V10 formula in 2028 and or 2030. But the FIA turned down those discussions and affirmed that the 2026 season will see the V6 continue albeit with the changes already defined.
The discussions on using sustainable fuel on normally aspirated engines did take place, but it noted that there will be certain amount of electrification present in the power unit. The R&D cost containment was another topic of discussions.
The meeting was attended by: Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG, Michael Moritz, COO Sauber Holding AG, Frédéric, Vasseur, Team Principal, Scuderia Ferrari HP, Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance, Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, Russ O’Blenes, CEO of GM Performance Power Units, Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing, Tetsushi Kakuda, Executive Chief Engineer, Honda Racing, Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group, Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Mattia Binotto, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
The FIA stated –
In opening the meeting, the FIA President was keen to stress that the purpose of the gathering was to seek cost-effective solutions to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the sport and the business of Formula 1. The FIA has firmly committed to the 2026 Formula One regulations. The FIA technical department, together with a number of stakeholders, has invested a lot of time in the framing of the 2026 regulations on hybrid Power Units with 100% sustainable fuel.
The 2026 regulations, governing Power Unit and chassis, have attracted new Power Unit manufacturers to the sport – underlining that for the 2026 cycle, the correct technical path has been chosen. Minor refinements and adjustments are still being constructively discussed with all stakeholders. Besides the 2026 regulations, a range of options and timelines for the future were discussed. One of the topics under discussion was the adoption of normally-aspirated engines with sustainable fuel.
Discussions centred on:
– Reducing costs of research and development of F1 powertrains
– Building resilience against the fluctuations of the global economy
– Reducing the complexity of Formula 1 Power Units
– Considerations on sustainability, weight reduction in relation to safety, performance, road car relevance, sound and audience appeal
It is always the FIA’s intention to take a decision on future engine regulations in consultation with all stakeholders to agree a way forward.
The conclusion of today’s meeting was as follows:
– All parties are committed to the 2026 regulations and look forward to the prospect of exciting racing
– All parties agreed to continue discussions on the future technical direction of the sport
– A level of electrification will always be part of any future considerations
– The use of sustainable fuel will be an imperative
– Consideration will be given to adjustments on financial regulations relating to Power Units as part of broader cost reductions
– Policing of those regulations will be a priority
Whichever engine roadmap is decided upon, the FIA is supportive of the teams and PU manufacturers in ensuring containment of costs of R&D expenditure, taking account of environmental considerations and acting in the best interests of the sport and the fans.
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