V8 Engines Could Return to F1 as Early as 2029 – Report

V8 engines might make a comeback into F1, as the FIA president hinted the return could happen as early as 2029.

Although they are much faster and more technical than their predecessors, many fans are complaining that current turbo hybrid V6 Formula One (F1) cars aren’t as dramatic and don’t provide as great a spectacle as the older V8-powered models.

However, this might change once and for all, as the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinted that the V8 engine might return to the sport as early as 2029, after more than a decade of hiatus.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem

As reported by Autosport, Ben Sulayem spoke to Fleet Street journalists at last week’s British Grand Prix in Silverstone, where the FIA president urged the series to move to a cheaper engine formula as soon as viable. He also thinks that the move to V8 could happen as early as the 2029 season—which is just three years after the introduction of the new technical era in 2026.

“To us, the V8 is happening,” he said. “With the teams now, I’m very optimistic, happy about it. FOM (Formula One Management) are supportive, the teams are realising it is the right way. We need to do it soon.”

“You need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there, but the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive,” the FIA president added.

While the switch from V8s to turbocharged hybrid V6s back in 2014 helped the sport to become somewhat more eco-friendly, the current powertrains have become extraordinarily expensive, with growing numbers inside F1’s paddock now calling for a more affordable solution, especially in this cost-cap-conscious era.

“The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea, and it is costly. R&D is reaching $200 million, and the engine is costing approximately $1.8 million to $2.1 million, so if we go with a straight V8, let’s see,” Ben Sulayem told Autosport.

F1 constructors like Mercedes-Benz are still making V8-powered road cars like the Mercedes-AMG GT.

Besides cutting costs, V8 engines could also provide better road relevance to automakers, as many of them are still building and developing new V8-powered road cars, even after the turbo hybrid V6 era started.

Prior to this new revelation, talks of the V8 engine returning to F1 had long begun, with the FIA even holding talks with numerous manufacturers earlier this year in Bahrain. Autosport reports that the main conclusion from that meeting was that F1 must keep a form of electrification as well as sustainable fuels in its future engine regulations, with the exact formula to be discussed later through the appropriate channels.

However, there have not been any formal discussions on future power units since that Bahrain meeting, with any decision requiring the support of the FIA and commercial rightsholder FOM, as well as a supermajority among manufacturers.