- New engine regulations attracted Audi and Ford to F1, and convinced Honda to reverse its exit plans
- FIA is seriously evaluating a change in engine formula
- Ferrari and Red Bull are rumoured to support a change to V10 engines
Incoming manufacturer Audi has backed Formula One’s new hybrid power unit regulations as speculation around a return to V10 engines intensifies.
The series will be switching to a more simplified version of its hybrid engines from next season, which will be much cheaper to produce thanks to no longer incorporating the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat) component.
The engines will also produce three times the electrical power and run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels, something that encouraged not only Audi to join Formula One but also convinced Honda to reverse its decision to exit the series and saw Ford partner with Red Bull.
This is an important consideration following recent comments from International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Mohammed Ben Sulayem about a possible return to V10 engines as early as 2028.
In a statement given to The Race, Audi has made clear its opposition to abandoning turbo hybrids for V10s, emphasising that the new regulations were a ‘key factor in Audi’s decision to enter Formula One’.
The statement added: ‘These power unit regulations reflect the same technological advancements that drive innovation in Audi’s road cars.’
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Despite this, the FIA is seriously evaluating if the direction of Formula One’s power units needs to change, with various options on the table.
“I think the right way around to go about it is: do we want three or four years later to go to a different type of power unit? That’s question number one. That looks after the long term for the sport,” FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis told select media at the Chinese Grand Prix, as reported by Autosport.
“If the answer to that is yes, then there’s question number two – what we do in the intervening period. That is definitely a secondary question compared to the primary one.
“Certainly the progress with sustainable fuels has led to views that maybe the engines could be simpler. The world economy does lead to views that maybe we should try to cut costs a bit more, and the current power units are way too expensive. That is a fact.
“That’s why the president made the comments about a V10 engine in ’28 and so on. And that is something we are evaluating with the PU manufacturers.”
Ultimately, all current manufacturers are deep into the development cycle for Formula One’s new engines, something that Tombazis is acutely aware of.
He continued: “Of course, the train has left the station to a large extent. My point is that the FIA president posed question number one. Question number two is then posed by a lot of people, depending on where they stand in the discussion.
“We will seek to be fair in a way that doesn’t disrespect any participant. And clearly, as people are investing money and so on, that is a very important factor in the final decision.”
The Race reports that four of the five manufacturers currently involved in Formula One would need to support a change in engine philosophy, so Audi’s opposition may not matter if others on the grid back the shift. Ferrari and Red Bull are rumoured to be open to a return to V10 engines.
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