Senior F1 boss warns against 'Jurassic Park' return to V10 engines

Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has warned against being driven by emotions when it comes to deciding the next era of F1's power unit regulations.

Talk of a potential return to combustion engines has sprouted in recent weeks, with F1 hosting a meeting in Bahrain to discuss the possibility as well as the new regulations that are set to come into play next year.

The idea to return to V10 engines with sustainable fuels was put on ice after the meeting but the topic has been opened for further discussions in the future.

Bayer, who played a key role in shaping the 2026 regulations through his previous role within the FIA, is not overly keen on the new idea.

“The current discussion, I’m trying to understand where it's coming from,” Bayer exclusively told RacingNews365.

“I was involved back in the day. I know that all the car manufacturers came together, they defined a vision and they said, ‘This is what we need from F1 to remain relevant for society and for road cars’,” he said.

“F1 has completely changed from what it used to be.”

With F1 undergoing a fresh boost of populairty in recent years, Bayer suggested a major chunk of the current fanbase do not yearn for a return to combustion engines.

“Looking at the amount of fans we have gained in the last couple of years, one in three fans has joined F1 only in the last five years,” he said.

“So for these people, it's a bit like Oscar Piastri - they haven't seen or heard the V10. For them, it’s a very abstract discussion. I think it's a discussion we should have internally.

“But first of all, I think what you need is F1, FIA, OEMs and the teams to align on what we think F1 should look like in 2030 and beyond. That's the main question we have to answer.”

New F1 fans 'not as keen for T-Rex V10 engines'

Other senior F1 figures, including Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, have criticised the focus on a return to combustion engines rather than the confirmed rules that are coming into effect in 2026.

Bayer has suggested combustion engines should be considered a relic of the past.

“I don't think we should be driven by emotions or romantic memories of a V10, which we all love. It’s like having seen a T-Rex walking by, people maybe think they went to Jurassic Park.

“The sound, we have a lot of young fans, families now coming to the racetrack. Maybe they're not as keen as we are to have the roaring of the T-Rexes coming down the main straight.

“But again, that's why it needs to be a strategic discussion that has to hear the sport, that has to hear the manufacturers, that has to hear the drivers.”

As F1 continues to hold talks about its future, Bayer maintains it should all remain behind closed doors.

“But it should be an internal discussion,” he added. “Think back to 2014, F1 presented one of the technical miracles.

“F1 actually put big posters up saying ‘we are hybrid’ because nobody knew. For years, people were talking badly about it, and so it almost feels like we're making the same mistake again.

“We’re having a next year, a new engine company, a new power unit, more efficient, more sustainable, 100% sustainable fuel, and we're starting a discussion now about potentially changing that. I’m trying to understand what the motivation is.”