The 2026 Formula 1 season is four rounds old and already the sport is planning its escape from it. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem used the Miami Grand Prix weekend to confirm what many in the paddock had been expecting: V8 engines are coming back to Formula 1, and the manufacturers don’t really get a veto.
“It’s coming, oh yes, it is coming. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of time. In 2031, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the power unit manufacturers,” he told reporters, per Reuters.
The V8 was ditched for a V6 turbo-hybrid in 2014 , a decision driven by the automotive industry’s push toward electrification and a desire to attract manufacturers like Audi and Honda.
The 2026 ruleset deepened that commitment with a near-50:50 split between combustion and electric energy, which has significantly changed the racing with battery management being key. The result has been messy enough that just four rounds into the 2026 campaign, tweaks have already been made to reduce the reliance on energy harvesting and increase safety.
The V8 Timeline Is Already Set
Ben Sulayem’s target is 2030 – one year before the current engine regulations reach their formal end. The math on how that happens is pretty basic. A change can be made for 2030 if a super-majority of four of the six manufacturers vote in favour. Otherwise, the FIA can force through the switch for 2031.
Ben Sulayem claims the manufacturers are broadly on board, though he’s comfortable either way.
“You will hear about it very soon. It will not be something like now, which is a 46-54 split. There will be very minimal [electric] power,” he said. The new V8s would retain some electrification – just nowhere near the current formula’s near-equal weighting between combustion and battery power.
Why V8 and not V10? Ben Sulayem has an answer.
A return to V10 engines has been ruled out, mainly because they are no longer relevant to road cars. He described the V8 as “the most popular and easiest to work with,” adding that its sound is incredible while the mechanics of it isn’t overly complex, and it’s of course a lighter option of engine.
After his V10 idea was dropped last year, Ben Sulayem outlined an idea to move to V8s in 2029 or 2030 instead, with more standard components and sustainable fuels as the point of appeal for engine manufacturers.
The FIA president was blunt about what happens if manufacturers drag their feet. “I’m targeting 2030. One year before the maturity [of the regulations]. It will happen. But let’s say the manufacturers don’t [vote for it], then one more year and it will be done. It’s not a matter of, ‘Do I need their support?’ No, it will be done. V8 is coming.”
Why the Manufacturers Are Less Opposed This Time
The automotive industry is no longer so keen on fully electric cars, and F1’s engine suppliers are now open to the idea of increasing emphasis on combustion power once again.
That’s a big change from just a year ago, when Ben Sulayem raised the idea of V8s returning to F1 but manufacturers were not in favour, particularly with it being so close to the changes for 2026, so the concept was put on the backburner.
Talks are already underway about the 2027 power unit regulations, with a move towards a 60-40 split between combustion and electric power being mooted ahead of the next full rules change in 2031.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also identified cost-cutting and weight reduction as priorities for the next cycle of rules, and there is alignment between F1 and the FIA that the engine needs to be simpler and more traditional, while still retaining enough appeal for engine manufacturers.
The 2026 regulations were designed to make F1 relevant to an industry sprinting toward electrification. That industry has since changed its mind, and the FIA is using that reversal as cover to do what Ben Sulayem wanted to do all along. Whether he gets it done in 2030 or 2031 is almost beside the point. The V6 hybrid era has a confirmed end date, and the sound you remember from 2006 to 2013 is scheduled for a comeback.
