FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem suggests the sport should consider a return to the "roaring sound of the V10".

Of course, when you are in a precarious relationship with the owners of the sport, on a collision course with the drivers and your organisation has been roundly booed at an event celebrating the beginning of the 75th anniversary season, you might well be tempted to throw the dog a bone by suggesting an idea that might put you in a more favourable light.

"This week's F1 launch in London has triggered a lot of positive discussion on the future of the sport," he posted on Instagram. "While we look forward to the introduction of the 2026 regulations on chassis and power unit, we must also lead the way on future technological motorsport trends.

"We should consider a range of directions including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel," he added. "Whichever direction is chosen, we must support the teams and manufacturers in ensuring cost control on R&D expenditure."

His predecessor, Jean Todt, insisted that a return to V10s was highly unlikely, and since then the sport has gone even further down the sustainability route.

The manufacturers, the newest of which have been lured to F1 by said increasing sustainability would never allow it, and for the new generation of fans the "roaring sound of the V10" would make no difference, not when they are anticipating Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga or Eminem to blast out of the speakers at race end.

Indeed, in many ways Ben Sulayem's suggestion comes across as insulting to many of those purists that are watching the ongoing demise of their sport, aware that there is no going back now that the dosh appears to be rolling in thick and fast.

Ever eager to (appear to) play both sides of the fence, last year Stefano Domenicali also hinted at a return to "engines that are much lighter and maybe with a good sound".

However, Paddy Lowe, founder of the carbon-neutral synthetic fuel company Zero Petroleum, recently dismissed the idea of dropping hybrids.

"I've seen that idea for a very long time," he tells the latest James Allen podcast, "actually, and there's an element of that vision in the formation of our company Zero.

"But Formula 1 is a hybrid formula today," he adds, "that is actually a very good solution for mainstream automotive, I think."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Max Noble, 25/02/2025 2:42

"@BrightonCorgi - hear hear! Who can forget the drama of Massa driving off with the rig still attached!? If that had not happened the extra points gained by Lewis would not have been enough to grab the championship in the final corner!
"

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2. Posted by ffracer, 24/02/2025 17:37

"Need to preface with my sincere privilege to our many very modest posters. Wow, such incredible insights.

@ Max Noble - thank you for paraphrasing my angst in your article. I consider myself a purist- the semi automatic/paddle shifters ruined my beloved sport, the brief use of the active suspension confirmed the mythical designers need restraint from themselves lol - as I took MO BS's suggestion of a glorious return to V10/12 was like dangling oxy to an addict..."

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3. Posted by Spindoctor, 24/02/2025 16:23

"@Max Noble I fear you're correct! I really shouldn't get over-excited at my advanced age....."

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4. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 24/02/2025 15:00

"I'd be happy with bringing back refueling. That was a major part of what made the races exciting and less predictable."

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5. Posted by kenji, 24/02/2025 13:15

"@Spindoctor... yes, the autonomous/unmanned will undoubtedly move on but the issue is, what will power them. AI will determine what those innovations will do and how they get to do it but it won't help them in provision of their primary mobility.

@ Max....Yes a night of fine wine/local brew and recollections/ reflections would be extremely enjoyable. My life has been a great and fulfilling adventure of sorts and the future is full of tantalising technical and cultural opportunities currently weighed down by desperate ideologues unfortunately. As an example, my travels and adventures in Africa could not possibly happen today, Even when I was there as a very young man travels were fraught with danger but at least one was not totally prevented from taking chances although I recall that latterly Uganda and Idi Amin were unpredictable and certainly dangerous..... but that's a rather complicate story for a night on the turps....as they say in Miami on a hot summers night.
"

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6. Posted by Max Noble, 24/02/2025 11:21

"@Spindoctor - my thanks. Yup the next ten years are going to be even more interesting than the last ten…!

@Kenji - Damn you’ve got some stories. If you, me, Spindoctor, and Esteemed Editor Balfe (plus many fine other regular posters to this fine site…) met in a pub one dark cold winter’s night when the local ale was at its finest it would be a work for the ages! Possibly best for all our health if that never happens… but heck… it would be a good way to go…!
"

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7. Posted by Spindoctor, 24/02/2025 8:54

"@Max Noble -Just so on all your points.

@Kenji Your observations about Tanks & F35s obviously hold at present, but time, tide & technological innovations wait for no man! Both will be replaced fairly soon by various unmanned autonomous & semi-autonomous systems. AI is rapidly expediting these technologies.

Manned fighting vehicles look increasingly like they're reaching the end of their usefulness. Russia dare not deploy its powerful Airforce & Navy because of MANPADS (man-carried AA missiles) & marine Drones. Russia has lost hundreds of Tanks to cobbled-together drone attacks. There is no doubt that these systems coupled to AI are the future of mechanised warfare. On the ground, sadly it will still be the poor bloody infantry.

"

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8. Posted by kenji, 24/02/2025 7:30

"@Max Noble...In 1963 i served/sailed on the TES Sulaco a British flagged vessel owned by Elders and Fyffes London and leased by the 'United Fruit Co' of NY. This ship was powered by a rather unique main engine arrangement of static turbines, fed by 4 main boilers that could be arranged to run in different configurations according to need. These turbines drove generators linked to massive electric motors/prop shafts!!! At full power we could raise in excess of 21 knots....This ship and its engines were built in 1932!!! The vessel was taken over during WW11 and saw service as the USS Salamanca before being reconfigured after the war was over and renamed TES Sulaco . I was Senior 5th Eng/ 2nd Refrig Eng. Latterly we sailed as a 7000 ton banana boat shuffling between Central and South America and our Southern home port of New Orleans. We took her to scrap in November '63 in Ghent Belgium. It was remarkable tech. for the times.

As for the aerial question maybe the combination of 'ramjet/ h2 scramjet' will be the long term solution! Who knows but Paddy Lowe has some interesting ideas,"

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9. Posted by Max Noble, 24/02/2025 2:02

"@Kenji - fascinating angle you bring in about defence assets. The Spaniard Issac Peral demonstrated the first successful electric submarine in September 1888 - 137 years ago! The company still exists as Navantia (who built the LHDs for Australia). Diesel Electric submarines have been in constant use ever since. Moving drones to electric i.e. battery power sources is already well established and lethal as being proven daily by Ukraine and Russia.

Moving human operator tanks to battery power is more a logistics issue. As it is the amount of diesel or turbine fuel one has to carry into battle, keep safe, and distribute is massive! The F35 could be a good example of where a synthetic fuel is the answer for some years to come. Got me thinking! Thanks :-)
"

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10. Posted by kenji, 24/02/2025 1:31

"Some excellent analyses here but there are many more questions that embrace a world far bigger than F1 that question the whole EV and ICE industry. Irrespective of the pros and cons of the motive source vis a vis performance in competition and the residential applications the wider problem can be seen as indelibly linked to political aspirations. China is quite literally drowning the universe in EV product and it seems to be accelerating even more as each and every days passes! The other reason that EV is not the entire answer as touted by some acolytes, the bigger question is defense!! F35's and Abrams tanks don't quite favour an electrical source of energy. How do you convert? It is my guess that somewhere out there there is a compromise that will exist for quite some time. Maybe the 50/50 split in '26 is the way to go but that is just 1% off being an electrically dominated F1. Think about it....the jury is still contemplating a decision."

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11. Posted by Max Noble, 24/02/2025 0:48

"@Spindoctor - agree. People need to go and watch historic racing for the body-shaking experience! Smile and enjoy! Loudest (aka most remarkable!) racing car I’ve ever heard was a 1920’s Alfa Romeo with one of the pioneering double overhead cam shaft straight-eight engines. It was ear splitting! It was also darn fast in a straight line and about the size of half a mini!
"

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12. Posted by Max Noble, 24/02/2025 0:43

"@BillH - EV sales were up again in 2024, and the global market is predicted to hit $828Billion UD in 2025. Still gaining traction in all markets (caveat being who knows what’s going to happen to the US market as Trump returns everyone to Buggy and whip set-ups…). The issues are range, and charging infrastructure. As both improve, uptake will continue to lift.

Ford loss… They have form. Between 1958 and 1960 they founded, failed, and closed the “Edsel” brand, named after Henry’s son. At the time they lost over $250 Million US, which is around $2.6Billion US in today’s dollars… so they are $600Million ahead on their EV loss! They must be learning.

I drive an ICE car, while my wife has an EV for around town. As we live in Australia, and have solar panels on our roof we charge it for free. Making it highly cost effective. We get just short of 400km of real world range, so it is not an issue around the city.

There are numerous science-based studies on the web which have carefully calculated the EV life-time emissions vs. ICE lifetime emissions, and they all generally agree that somewhere between three and six years - depending on how clean your electricity generation is - the EV comes out clearly ahead of the ICE.

We will get recycling right as the economics of the situation (i.e. scale) improve.

Fully agree on synthetic fuels - as I’ve previously noted, this is just the oil industry trying to keep us addicted to something they can sell at a massive profit. Green hydrogen is a road to no where.

"

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13. Posted by BillH, 23/02/2025 17:36

"@Max Noble, the public already are voting with their wallets as we see all manufacturers scale back their plans for full electric by (put year here).
For the electrically inclined, hybrid is as far as most people will go and it won't be the plug in hybrid either.
Ford alone has wiped nearly $2B USD off their books due to their EV plans going awry.
EVs fail without government regulation forcing manufacturers to make EVs (average fleet CO2 emissions) and then subsidising the consumer.
The biggest problem for EVs is that they are not enough of an improvement over the the thing they are trying to replace.
Cars took off because they are way better than walking or horses.
As for "sustainable" alternative to fossel fuels, no-one seems to take into account the amount of energy required to make the fuel. For that matter no-one seems to take into account the energy required to make an EV (Mazda and Toyota kind of do, hence their holding off as long as possible on full EV production).
A lot of the buyers of EVs are people who see cars as just a means of getting from A to B, or like a good gov't handout and like to be "seen to be green" and "doing their bit" for the environment."

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14. Posted by ffracer, 23/02/2025 17:35

"As much as I love the NA V10 on zero emissions fuel as the ideal engine - I don't believe battery power is the only acceptable future amongst auto manufacturers - the dangers of lithium
and battery disposal is frightening - this expensive rabbit hole the hybrid V6 era has caused will not cease as both the governing body and the auto manufacturers have invested too much to admit defeat. Sadly."

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15. Posted by Spindoctor, 23/02/2025 17:03

"@Max Noble - just so. The only reason we see F1 full to the gills with Auto makers is that there are genuine synergies between racing & production. Formula Electric is making significant strides in terms of battery, motor & battery-management tech. Formula 1 uses & develops technologies that feature in what are likely to be the bulk of vehicles bought for the next 5-10 years (i.e. hybrids).

Notwithstanding anything else, we always come back to the fact that you simply can't swim in the same river twice. No matter how much I want to hear those howlingV10s & V12s, that era has passed. "

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