Formula 1 May Return to V-10 Engines in the Years to Come

Naturally aspirated V-10 engines in Formula 1 became prominent after turbocharging was banned in 1989, and, for some fans, Formula 1 cars have never sounded better, especially during the V-10 peak in the late ’90s and early aughts. Now, the FIA’s president says that V-10s may be coming back to Formula 1, this time with “sustainable fuel.”

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem made the remarks on social media after F1’s launch party last week. There have been murmurs about a V-10 return to F1 since almost the moment they left in 2006. New rules changes are also coming in 2026, prompting another round of hoping that V-10s might one day come back even as the sport moves increasingly in an electric direction.

“This week’s F1 launch in London has triggered a lot of positive discussion on the future of the sport,” Ben Sulayem said on Instagram. “While we look forward to the introduction of the 2026 regulations on chassis and power unit, we must also lead the way on future technological motorsport trends. We should consider a range of directions including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel.”

Those comments are sure to fuel even more speculation about V-10s’ future in F1, or perhaps Ben Sulayem is just a little nostalgic for the sounds of old, like the rest of us. For now, it doesn’t look like V-10s will come back any time soon because in 2026 F1 cars are set to be powered almost equally by an electric motor and a V-6, the latter running on fully synthetic fuel.

That would also seem to leave little room for a return to a bigger engine, and the switch to a near-even split in electric and internal combustion engine power was also intended to make it easier for manufacturers. That was one draw for GM to join with its Cadillac team in 2026, and a factor in Honda saying it will keep making engines for F1, after saying it wouldn’t.

Still, the draw of the V-10 is powerful.

“Just please bring a V12 or V10 back,” seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton said in 2018.

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