In 2026, Formula 1 will switch to a new generation of power plants, whose power will exceed 1,000 hp, but about 50% of this should be developed by the hybrid part. In this case, the engines will run on fuel that comes entirely from renewable sources.
A more obvious emphasis on electric power again raises questions about how such engines will sound, as there has been talk for a decade that modern hybrid power plants are far inferior in this regard to naturally aspirated engines of previous generations, and this affects the emotional perception of racing.
Stefano Domenicali, president of Formula 1, spoke about the prospects for the development of the sport and did not even rule out that a complete transition to more environmentally friendly fuels would make it possible in the future to do away with hybrid technologies, while the engines would be structurally simpler and their sound would be better.
However, when drawing up the technical regulations for 2026, the preferences of car manufacturers supplying engines to the championship teams were taken into account, and they proved to be very attractive to them. Audi decided to enter Formula 1 by setting up its own works team based on Sauber, Honda decided to return to the World Championship and General Motors announced its plans to become a power unit supplier in 2028.
Recently there has been talk of a possible return of Toyota, albeit initially only as a partner and sponsor of the American Haas F1 team.
In an interview with Australian radio station 3AW, Domenicali made it clear that the engines will sound better as early as 2026, but did not elaborate on the topic of ditching the hybrid part.
“We intend for the sound of the new generation of engines to be louder, because this affects our emotional perception,” said the Formula 1 president and CEO. “This is exactly what our fans want to hear, so it is our duty to give this serious attention.
We need the engines to sound different. Personally, I experience it as music. When we had twelve-cylinder engines, they sounded at a different frequency and were very loud – that’s a fact. Then there were V10s, V8s, now they are V6 hybrids, but in the future they will not get smaller.
The situation has simply changed, so of course we need hybrid powertrains, and we are committed to hybrid systems for the future.”
Ford’s head of motorsport, Mark Rushbrook, has confirmed that discussions are underway about how the next-generation engines will sound.
“What engines will sound like in 2026 is still being discussed,” Speedcafe quotes Rushbrook. “But since these power plants will be different in design and the cars will also change, their sound will change in many ways in 2026. While discussions on this topic will of course continue, it is being discussed at meetings that are already underway. We need to understand what and how we want to change in the future.
Obviously, a reasonable balance has to be found and the noise of the engines has to be at an acceptable level. When you attend races, especially with your family, you want to be able to connect with each other. In general, we will see how the discussion on these issues goes.”
Ford will return to Formula 1 in 2026 as a partner of Red Bull Powertrains, the engine division of Red Bull Racing.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
