Toto Wolff plays down exciting F1 rule change

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has dismissed talk of F1 returning to V10 engines in the near future.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem suggested last month F1 could return to V10 engines in 2030, all the while ensuring the continued use of sustainable fuels.

V10 engines, the sound of which is a favourite among drivers and fans, were last used during the 2005 season.

But as F1 heads towards a significant change next year which includes an increase in electrical power and the removal of the MGU-H component, Wolff asserted F1 should focus on promoting the power units that are already in place.

“First of all, we should be excited about these new regulations coming in next year,” Wolff told media including RacingNews365.

“We should be talking them up. This is our sport. It is important to have the positivity about it that such an exciting motor comes into the car.

“We are pushing the boundaries of battery technology and on sustainability.

“It’s the first year we’re having 100 per cent sustainable fuel. Nobody knows how all of this is going to pan out.

“That is really exciting that F1 is trailblazing.

“So all of us stakeholders, I think we should be really cheering for this and making sure that the sport is perceived in such a high-tech way as it needs to be, and less driven by opportunistic thoughts.

Wolff labels talk of new F1 engines 'premature'

The changes coming to the power unit in 2026 will be the biggest changes seen since the hybrid engines were introduced in 2014.

New manufacturers, including Ford and Audi, have signed up to be part of the new regulation cycle.

As F1 ushers towards its new era next year, Wolff outlined it is premature to have talks regarding what will come after.

“This is a five-year cycle,” Wolff said. “There are regulations in place whilst this is the journey onwards.

“Having a discussion about what comes afterwards, whether it is a V8 that we like a lot, that are maybe more road relevant than a V10 going forward.

“I think it’s an exciting discussion to be had. What kind of hybrid system could be playing that role? Is that sound going to go up?

“All this is really interesting conversations within a lifecycle of regulations, and that [it’s] worth it.

“But at the moment, I think it’s a bit premature.

“We are at risk of diluting the messaging to the world if the year before we have even started these new exciting regulations, we talk about something that comes later.”