FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed plans to bring back eight-cylinder engines by 2031 to slash car weight and bring back the iconic F1 roar. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
The FIA is exploring a return to V8 engines to simplify Formula 1 and restore its iconic sound. President Mohammed Ben Sulayem suggests a 2031 switch is a "matter of time," aiming to move away from complex hybrid units while maintaining sustainable fuel targets.
F1 could be on the verge of a dramatic return to its loud, raw roots, with plans in motion to bring back V8 engines by the end of the decade. Leading the charge is Sulayem, who has made it clear that the shift is no longer a distant dream but an increasingly realistic outcome.
Speaking on the future direction of the sport, the FIA president unraveled their future plans for the trajectory of the sport.
“It is a matter of time,” he said, reinforcing the FIA’s growing confidence that the current hybrid era will eventually give way to something simpler and more visceral.
Since 2014, F1 has relied on complex V6 hybrid power units, a move initially praised for aligning the sport with road car technology and sustainability goals. However, those engines have become notoriously expensive and complicated, with increasing criticism from teams, drivers, and fans alike.
The current 2026 regulations leans even further into hybrid technology, with an almost even 50/50 split between combustion and electric power — a direction that has sparked concern across the paddock amongst drivers and fans alike.
Ben Sulayem believes the sport may have gone too far.
“We need to simplify,” he insisted, pointing toward a future where engines are lighter, cheaper, and more engaging.
The proposed V8 return would still incorporate sustainable fuels, ensuring F1 maintains its environmental commitments while recapturing the emotion that defined previous eras.
Crucially, the idea is gaining traction among key stakeholders. Mercedes-Benz has already voiced support, a significant endorsement given the team’s dominance in the hybrid era.
Their backing suggests that even manufacturers heavily invested in current technology see value in a reset. The FIA leadership is targeting 2030 as a potential introduction date, with 2031 as a fallback should negotiations take longer.
“If not 2030, then 2031,” Ben Sulayem said, underlining the governing body’s determination for the return of eight cylinders.
For fans, the prospect is mouth-watering. The return of screaming V8 engines would signal more than just a technical change — it would mark a shift back to the heart-pounding spectacle that made Formula 1 famous in the first place.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.