FIA president puts fresh timeline on V8 return decision for F1

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has outlined that he hopes the framework for a V8 return in the early 2030s will be confirmed in the coming months.

Several drivers have criticised the 2026 power units since their introduction, with complaints centring on heavy battery dependence and energy-management demands.

Max Verstappen has been among the most vocal, alongside Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, who have all questioned the current regulations.

The complaints have fed into wider discussions about overhauling the engine formula beyond the current cycle, with the sport now touted to return to V8 engines as part of the next set of regulations.

Asked whether a new regulatory framework would be agreed this year, Ben Sulayem told media including RacingNews365: "Yes, yes. In a few months, hopefully."

"Of course, you push the teams and the PUMs to come back to you, and we will wait for them to come back to us."

Ben Sulayem made striking comments in Rwanda last week, where he declared that V8s would return for 2030.

But the FIA president has since updated his comments, making it clear that nothing has been formally agreed yet, stressing that several technical and financial factors still need resolving before any switch to simpler V8 engines is confirmed.

"No, not yet, but it will be,” he added.

"The consultation has been a lot. The papers are with the teams. Teams are reading it. Team principals, PUMs, power unit manufacturers. A driver has been consulted about it."

"When you make it simpler, and then you make it half the price, the R&D doesn't just go down by half, but then the simplicity that comes with it, the production can take shorter time."

"So, there are materials also... the down of an engine, which is a block, it's only for reliability. You go up, and then it's the power."

"That's where you have to limit things, because limitation of the power means you have to police so that nobody can use certain materials."

"Certain materials can be very expensive if you're trying to get those last few horsepower. The sound will be there and then a very light car, but you have to be very careful of how light you can let it."