F1 in the wet and the future of engines - Q&A

F1 in the wet and the future of engines - Q&A Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris have all voiced their view this year that a return to “pure” racing would require Formula 1 to revert to naturally aspirated engines without any hybrid component. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has echoed this sentiment, first advocating a revival of V10 power units earlier last year and more recently suggesting V8s as an alternative. He argues that the distinctive sound of V8 engines and the prospect of lighter cars are compelling reasons for the change. However, naturally aspirated engines would consume significantly more fuel, which would either force cars to run only half a race distance or make them heavier than the current hybrid‑powered machines. The FIA has also examined the possibility of reintroducing refuelling, an idea that teams have largely rejected. At present, only Alonso and Lewis Hamilton remain from the era when drivers could push flat out for an entire Grand Prix without worrying about tyre wear. Yet occasional circumstances still allow that style of driving to resurface. In the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, on the low‑grip Baku circuit during the final stint, exactly that occurred. Race winner George Russell described the experience in his own words: “The last stint, I think, is the most amount of fun I've had in a race for as long as I can remember because the tyre felt great. We were pushing flat out every single lap. It was like qualifying 1 after another. "You needed to be so alert about this circuit because the walls are so close, particularly through the castle. You're threading the needle. "Those last 10 laps felt really, truly fun. And it almost felt like the stories I hear of the drivers in the early-mid 2000s, of when every lap was like a qualifying lap. "The heart rate is higher, you're pushing the limits every single lap, there's no management. We've had a lot of conversations this year about power-unit energy management, but the tyre degradation is still there and it has been there for years and years (since Pirelli came in in 2011). "But just with how the temperatures and the circuit fell away today, with the tyres there was no management, and that was exceptionally fun." From a romantic perspective, some argue that this is precisely what Formula 1 should be about—drivers and machines operating at their absolute limits at all times. It is also worth noting that tyres contribute as much to the current challenge as the power units, if not more, especially earlier this season. Nevertheless, the situation is not straightforward. Data show that the period of refuelling between 1994 and 2009 produced the lowest number of on‑track overtakes in the sport’s history. Additionally, increasing fuel consumption clashes with Formula 1’s ambition to achieve net‑zero carbon emissions by 2030, even though on‑track racing represents only a small fraction of the championship’s overall environmental footprint. Naturally aspirated engines would also be considerably larger, potentially jeopardising street‑circuit events such as those in Miami and Las Vegas, which are situated close to or within urban centres. Road‑car relevance further complicates the debate. Manufacturers participate in Formula 1 primarily for commercial reasons, not entertainment. Most modern road‑car power plants are turbocharged and incorporate some level of hybridisation. Taken together, these factors indicate that Formula 1 is likely to adopt a new power‑unit concept for either 2030 or 2031: a V8 turbocharged engine supplemented with 15‑25 percent electrical output, chiefly deployed as a push‑to‑pass mechanism. Team bosses acknowledge the problems of energy starvation introduced by the latest regulations and intend to allow drivers to access full power continuously, using the electric element mainly to aid overtaking.