Despite fan nostalgia, F1 rules out a V10 comeback as the sport doubles down on its major investment in 2026 power units.
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about bringing back the roar of the old V10s or even the V8s in Formula 1. Some fans and insiders are nostalgic for those loud, aggressive engines. But for the people actually building F1’s future, that idea isn’t on the table—not now, and not anytime soon.
The next big change in engine regulations is coming in 2026. And according to Pat Symonds, executive consultant at Cadillac, the sport can’t afford to move on from those new engines too quickly. “You can’t ask manufacturers—especially new ones—to develop an engine from scratch and then throw it out after just two years,” Symonds said at the BlackBook Motorsport Forum in London.
That means no new rules until at least 2030. “There’s a lot of wishful thinking out there,” he added. “With the amount of money going into the 2026 engine project, it would be reckless to waste it.”
Cadillac, Audi, and Red Bull Powertrains are all starting from zero with these new hybrid power units. They need time—years, not months—to justify their investment. “Maybe these engines won’t last 10 years,” Symonds said, “but they need to last a lot longer than two. Otherwise, you risk companies like Audi walking away.”
There’s also no easy way to go backward, even for teams that might be struggling with development. “Audi can’t just switch things up. We’ve designed our 2026 car around a Ferrari-style engine. A 2025 engine wouldn’t even fit.”
And while the V10 might sound romantic, Symonds isn’t convinced. “Honestly, I don’t think the V10 was ever a great race engine. The V8 probably was. But the V10 always felt like a compromise between a V8 and a V12. A classic committee decision.”
Even if F1 did return to smaller cylinder counts, it wouldn’t be the same. “We’ve learned a lot over the past decade about how to run these engines lean and efficiently. Going back to old-school V8s or V10s just isn’t an option. We have to keep moving forward.”
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No Room for Nostalgia: 2026 F1 Engines Here to Stay
No Room for Nostalgia: 2026 F1 Engines Here to Stay
