Formula 1 News: Verstappen and Hamilton want V10 comeback (Update)

(GMM) Top team bosses are not confident Formula 1 cars will be screaming with old-school V10 power any time soon.

Discussions are clearly taking place behind the scenes about whether the sport should realize the mistake of the radical 2026 engine rules and delay the introduction of the even more electrically-augmented ‘power units’.

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Then, the FIA could simply install regulations for simple, affordable, light and 100 percent sustainable-fuel V10 engines for 2028, restoring the old and highly popular scream of high-revving, normally-aspirated power.

“The romantic in you is hugely attracted to the idea of a screaming V10, so long as it’s done responsibly and with fully-sustainable fuels,” said Red Bull’s Christian Horner.

But some are warning that a move as dramatic as that could even lead to Formula 1 being sued by Audi and Honda – who were lured onto the 2026 grid on the promise of forward rather than backward-looking engines.

Horner admits: “It’s sort of ten past midnight and Cinderella’s left the building. It would be a massive departure obviously to move away from what is currently being worked on very hard for 2026.”

On this particular topic, Horner and McLaren CEO Zak Brown are finding rare common-ground.

“I don’t really see how you can unwind what’s in place, because of all the different power unit changes that are happening right now,” he said.

“Audi’s coming in, Alpine’s going to Mercedes for an engine. Logistically, I’m not sure how you put the genie back in the bottle.”

Alpine boss Oliver Oakes agrees: “I think it’s quite a romantic idea, but obviously the train has left the station now for 2026.

“I think it’s probably something beyond that that will be looked at because it does sound quite good for Formula 1 to go that way a little bit,” he said.

(GMM) Top Formula 1 drivers are split over whether the sport should bring back light, loud, crowd-pleasing V10 engines sooner rather than later.

Reports are circulating suggesting Liberty Media, the FIA, and some of the teams are advocating for delaying the all-new engine rules for 2026 in order to accelerate the return of normally-aspirated V10s running on sustainable fuel from 2028.

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“It’s no secret – the V6 sound was never good,” Lewis Hamilton said in Shanghai.

He, like Max Verstappen, recalled the first time he saw F1 cars way back in 1996, revealing: “My whole chest vibrated.

“It was the most overwhelming thing I’ve ever felt and heard,” added Hamilton. “Unfortunately, over the years, that’s been lost.”

The current turbo hybrid ‘power units’ have proved heavy, expensive, and the Ferrari driver even wonders if, “given the batteries we’ve been using, we can really say they’re that sustainable”.

Verstappen fully agrees, even admitting that the idea of racing V10 engines could keep him in Formula 1 beyond his current contract. “Maybe, yes,” said the quadruple world champion.

“It’s certainly a lot more exciting than what we have now. I remember when I was a kid, hearing the sound of the engines, it gave you so much more, even though the cars might have been slower.

“The feeling that an engine like that gave you is something you can’t describe compared to what we have now.”

F1 veteran Fernando Alonso has actually raced throughout the sport’s transition from V10s to V8s to the current V6s, but he admitted in China that he is “not sure” going backwards is the right move.

“Obviously, I love the V10 era and the V8 and the sound of those cars that we all miss,” said the Spaniard. “At the same time, we’re in a different world now.

“Technology has evolved, and we now have incredibly efficient engines that use about one-third of the fuel we used to. We can’t just go against our time and our hybrid era. It’s like saying we could run without the Halo and make the cars more dangerous and more adrenaline for the fans,” the 43-year-old added.

One major issue is that if F1 really does delay the 2026 era, Audi would not have an engine to use from next year. “I’ve heard the discussions,” said Audi-owned Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg.

“But I think it’s just talk. The regulations for 2026 are set in stone. At least that’s what I assume.”