F1 engines: a return to V10 or hybrid: what is the future?

The senior figures within F1 and car manufacturers involved in sport see many problems with the position of the FIA.

At the macro level, the climatic crisis is very real and the global road car industry is heading in the direction of electrification, even if Election of Donald Trump At the head of a government of climatic denialists, he made a break for thought in the United States.

The producers take part in the F1 basically for marketing reasons and sport has been made more tempting by the introduction of a budgetary limit for cars and engines.

Audi, Ford and General Motors all enter F1 in 2026 – and Honda remain rather than retreat, in particular because of the new engine rules.

Audi has already issued a declaration in response to the latest developments, stating that the new rules “were a key factor in Audi’s decision to enter Formula 1”.

Mercedes says that it is open to discussions, but would need a hybrid element to be part of any new engine formula to remain interested.

Then there is the micro level.

Why a V10? No large street car manufacturer uses them more.

Mercedes states that a V8 would make more sense if a change should be made, since at least they are still in development for the use of the road.

And why abandon the turbochargers, when many road cars for performance – from Audi RS6S or Mercedes AMG C63S to McLaren and Ferrari Hypercar – use them for excellent reasons?

Cost? Yes, a V10 could be cheaper than a hybrid. But the producers have already spent $ 400 million collective estimated on new engines. They are not about to throw it away.

And a new V10 would require the development, for the time of hundreds of millions.

Weight? Yes, hybrid engines make the cars heavier, largely due to the necessary batteries. But most of the weight increase of about 550 kg in 2005 at about 800 kg is now explained by progress in safety, such as the Halo’s head protection device.

In addition, in 2013, the cars started races with about 160 kg of fuel. Now, it is about 100 kg and should be more or less the same next year. The return to aspirated engines naturally would mean a huge increase in fuel and weight capacity.

Sustainability? The new fuels introduced next year are not clear carbon. According to scientific standards, sustainable fuels reduce carbon emissions of just over 80%.

It’s a lot. But double the amount of fuel used by the abandonment of hybrid engines would mean a doubling of carbon emissions produced by fuel.

The emissions of the cars themselves are tiny in the general framework: the transport of F1 all over the world is much more significant. However, symbolism is important.