Formula 1 teams have presented their new cars in London. Now FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he wants synthetic fuel and V10 engines.
It won't happen right now. Because the next set of regulations from 2026 will stick to the V6 engine. But both Formula 1 and the FIA organizations are considering V10 engines.
Bringing the many cylinders back to life can be done, because Formula 1 still has a goal of running on one hundred percent synthetic gasoline from 2026.
And if you ask the controversial FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 'many interesting things about the future of the sport' have already been discussed.
– As we look forward to the introduction of the new regulations in 2026, we must also be at the forefront of future technology trends in motorsport, said former rally coaches.
But one particular turn of events, when Ben Sulayem met the press, made the journalists present prick up their ears.
– We should consider a number of directions, including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel.
"It will always be important to delight our fans, along with all the work we do to make the sport safer and more sustainable," said the president.
Between 2000 and 2005, all Formula 1 cars ran with a 3-liter V10 engine limited to 19,000 rpm. After that, V8 engines were on the menu until the field switched to the current V6 engines with turbos and hybrid systems in 2014.
However, the V6 engines in particular have been the subject of criticism from fans of the sport. They are not up to par with the Formula 1 cars of the past, the critics say.
And there is something to that. Because even though the regulations have been adjusted to allow for more sound from the small V6 engines, there is still more to come in an F2 racer.
It is still too early to say whether V10 engines really have a chance of making a comeback. But the fact that the FIA president himself is airing the idea is a positive sign.
One of those who was and is very fond of the V10 engine's soundtrack is Lewis Hamilton. He himself raced in the field during both the V10 and V8 eras.
