Ben Sulayem says F1 could have V8 engines as soon as 2029

LONDON – Formula One could go back to using noisy V8 engines with fully sustainable fuel by 2029 at the earliest, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The sport is entering a new engine era next season, but the head of the governing body suggested in February that a return to the naturally aspirated V8s or V10s was being considered after that.

The V8 engines were last used in 2013, before the current 1.6-litre V6 units.

“The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea, and it is costly,” Ben Sulayem told reporters at the weekend’s British Grand Prix. “R&D is reaching US$200 million (S$255.7 million), and the engine is costing approximately 1.8 to 2.1, so if we go with a straight V8, let’s see.

“Many of the manufacturers produce V8s in their cars, so commercially it’s correct. How much is it? You drop it. The target is more than 50 per cent in everything.”

Ben Sulayem said the V8 engine would also have significant weight advantages and the sound would be welcomed by both nostalgic fans and the new generation.

“To us, the V8 is happening. With the teams now, I’m very optimistic, happy about it. FOM (Formula One Management) are supportive, the teams are realising it is the right way,” he said.

“We need to do it soon... you need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there, but the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive.”

Ben Sulayem also spoke about the possibility of a Chinese team filling the final 12th slot, something he has mentioned before, and said he still felt the sport needed more cars rather than more races.

“The time will come when we feel it is right to open an expression of interest,” he said of filling the 12th slot.

“We are not here to upset other teams. It won’t be just go and do it for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it for us. The team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula One.”

General Motors’ Cadillac brand is due to become the 11th team in 2026, a slot won after initial resistance from the other teams and Liberty Media-owned Formula One.

Meanwhile, Ben Sulayem also laughed off talk of a “reign of terror” inside motor racing’s world governing body and promised the coming presidential election would be fair and transparent.

The Emirati is seeking a second term in December after being first elected in 2021, with Tim Mayer the sole declared opponent.

The American announced his candidacy on July 4 ahead of the British Grand Prix, telling a press conference he saw a “failure in leadership” at the FIA.

“Those people work very hard. They deserve leadership that provides them with tools, with a vision, with resources and more than anything else does not have a reign of terror every time they walk into the office,” Mayer said.

Ben Sulayem found the assertion ridiculous.

“I just laughed. I actually had a smile. I said whoever is saying this, they are disconnected with the FIA, honestly,” he told Reuters.

“You go to the FIA and just enter and see. Sit with them, tell them it’s just between you and them, and ask them the question. I think maybe he’s confusing the period.”

The FIA headquarters in Paris is on the Place de la Concorde, where from 1793-94 public executions by guillotine were carried out during the French revolutionary “Reign of Terror”.

There has been a high turnover of senior staff since Ben Sulayem took office, including former deputy president for sport Robert Reid, who resigned in April.

“Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to represent,” he said then.

Ben Sulayem, whose reign so far has featured a number of controversies including statute changes that opponents say make it harder for rivals to stand against him, defended his record.

“Have you ever read any article where I said negatively about a single person? That’s not me,” he said. REUTERS