FIA declare 'F1 cannot be hostage' over future engine rules

The FIA's single-seater technical chief Nikolas Tombazis, believes that F1 "cannot be hostage"  by manufacturers over future engine rules.

The 2026 power units were designed in a bid to attract new OEMs to F1, with Audi entering as a works team, and General Motors also coming in via Cadillac, with a plan to become a power unit manufacturer in the future. 

Ford re-entered for the first time since 2004 as a technical partner to Red Bull Powertrains - another new supplier, with Honda once again enticed back as a works squad, partnering with Aston Martin. 

The much-discussed 50-50 split in terms of power output between the internal combustion engine and battery power was a central plank of the offer to the OEMs, with talks already beginning over the next set of engine regulations, slated for introduction in 2031.

Detailing the situation, Tombazis explained how the "political landscape" over the use of the ICE in the power units had changed from when the rules were first being drawn up, and how F1 cannot be "hostage" to the demands of the manufacturers moving forwards.

"First of all, it is true, the political landscape has changed," Tombazis told media, including RacingNews365.

"Back when we discussed the current regulations, the automotive companies, who were very involved, told us that they're never going to make another internal combustion engine again, a new one.

“They were going to phase out, and by whatever year, they were going to be fully electrical; obviously, this hasn't happened. That's not to underestimate the importance of electrification globally, but it didn't happen as much as I said.

"Secondly, I think one of the not frequently discussed stories, because it's not something visible, is that, of course, we did go for fully sustainable fuels, and I think, a reasonably good outcome.

"So in terms of where we want to be in the future, we do need to protect the sport from the world macro-economic situation, meaning we cannot be hostage to automotive companies deciding to be part of our sport or not.

"We want them to be part of our sport, absolutely. That's why we've worked so hard to secure new ones to participate.

"But we can also not be in a position where, if they decide they don't want to be, we're suddenly left vulnerable, and we need to keep working for cost reduction.

"If we are to change anything for the next cycle, we need to start discussing it very soon, because the time it takes to make a power unit, an engine and all that is quite long.

"So it may sound a bit strange to be discussing these matters only a few races after we've started, but that is the natural cycle of the discussion when it needs to take place."