F1's plan for new independent V8 engine builder revealed

That V8 engines are coming to Formula 1 is not in doubt.

Both the FIA and Formula One Management have been clear that the current turbo hybrids are to be consigned to history because they are too expensive and too complicated.

So, with F1's next rules era coming into play for 2031 and the FIA having a blank canvas to create the regulations, the direction of travel is clear.

But the devil remains in the detail, as there are still plenty of elements that need to be put in place.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been continuing to lay the groundwork behind the scenes in formulating the plan.

And, during a conversation with select media including The Race, at the British Grand Prix, he offered some fascinating insight about key developments that could change the nature of F1.

This includes moves to reduce the influence of manufacturers on customer teams, and also the possibility that F1 could get refuelling back for the first time since 2009.

Reducing manufacturer influence

One fascinating new element has emerged as work progresses on the V8 idea.

That is of a guaranteed independent supply that would help customers escape being under the influence of manufacturers.

The idea being looked at is for the FIA to appoint an independent engine manufacturer, such as Cosworth, for example, to provide an off-the-shelf and cost-effective V8 that any team can buy.

Ben Sulayem feels this move would end the authority that car makers can have over their partner teams.

"There will be no control over the teams, A team over the B team, that's supplied with their engines," he said.

"If it is affordable, then we will have one engine for the rest of the B-teams, so nobody can leverage them and tell them to 'Vote this way, or we are not going to give you a good engine'."

Ben Sulayem said the independent engine would help empower independent teams.

"It will be an FIA-selected engine that would be allowed to the teams," he said.

"Then we control the neutrality, we control the power and the money. We cannot just give it away and say go and do it to X, Y, Z. Prices might go up and down, but the FIA will always be the judge."

Ben Sulayem believed that, if the cost of producing an engine was brought down to a reasonable level, then current big squads could even go as far as doing power units themselves.

"McLaren said they will do it, then you have Alpine, they will do their own engine," he said. "It's already two of them saying, well, thank you.

"Then you will have [new] power unit manufacturers, maybe more than the [current] numbers. That's good."

Ben Sulayem did not elaborate on how his idea would work for teams that are closely aligned, such as Red Bull and Racing Bulls, but he also said the whole dynamic of co-ownership could change too.

"We are discussing what is a second team and what is another team," he said. "It depends on ownership."

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has said several times this year that if it was financially viable for McLaren to do its own F1 engine, then it is something that it would consider.

From Alpine owner Renault's perspective, however, there does not seem to be much interesting right now.

Renault CEO Francois Provost said at the British GP: "I support the V8 direction, but it's not because it could be an opportunity for Renault to come back as an engine manufacturer. It's not our strategy."

Renault's in-house engine project was shut down at the end of 2025, and Alpine has taken on a Mercedes customer supply deal instead for this season.

Simpler, cheaper and lighter engines

Ben Sulayem is not wavering in his determination to reintroduce V8s, because he thinks there are multiple benefits of having them.

"It's the right thing to do," he declared.

The arguments are that if F1 wants to make itself more attractive and its business model more sustainable, then it needs power units that are less complicated and cheaper.

Of the current V6 turbo engines, Ben Sulayem said: "It's a very complex engine, and it's very expensive, and it doesn't sound as good as everybody wants."

Ben Sulayem believes a cheap V8 solution could reduce R&D budgets by around 50%.

Simpler engines will also be lighter, as they can get rid of heavy battery backs and energy recovery systems.

"We're targeting 100kg less for the car," he added, in a move that he thinks will also improve safety. "It's not the [F1] business, it's the lives of the drivers that are the most important."

The battery and turbo question

Ben Sulayem has said several times that the new generation of engines will feature a hybrid element, but it will be nowhere near as powerful as what's in use right now.

With F1 accepting that the notional 50/50 split between internal combustion engine and battery power has not worked, the ratio shift for the V8 era will be much greater than the 60/40 rebalancing being planned already for 2028.

Manufacturers have been insistent that some form of electrification is essential to keep them committed, so this is why the battery power ratio is likely to be somewhere in the low double digits as a percentage.

"Could be 10%, it might be 15%," said Ben Sulayem. "But it won't come to what we have now, that the electrification is at 46% or something.

"We don't want to go through the current issue where some drivers are lifting off in a straight line. This is not what we want - so lesson learned there."

Another topic of debate has been whether the V8s will be naturally aspirated or will feature turbos.

Audi said recently that having a turbo was essential for it when it came to the rules.

Ben Sulayem suggested that discussions on the technical specifics would likely head down giving manufacturers a choice of either the hybrid element or turbos.

"A turbo means a lot of weight and a lot of money," he said. "And then you have a battery [that is heavy].

"And what does a turbo do? It removes the sound.

"So for me today I believe a turbo or a battery, one of them. And the FIA should lead. If we just go in circles, we will not decide things."

Refuelling being evaluated

One of the questions that has emerged amid the early discussions about a V8 return is whether the arrival of the new power units will require a return of refuelling.

As mentioned above, a primary target with the next regulation set is to dramatically reduce car weight by up to 100kg.

However, it is well understood that one of the downsides if F1 moves towards a naturally aspirated V8 is that it will require more fuel to complete a race distance than the more efficient turbo V6s that have been a part of F1 since 2014.

Some have argued that there is little point making a big effort to cut back 100kg in the car if the engine rules then force teams to run almost as much mass of fuel instead.

During the previous refuelling era with V8 engines that ran until 2009, the fuel tank capacity was around 90-100 litres, which is roughly 70kg.

When refuelling was banned for 2010, tank size had to increase to around 200 litres - which is roughly 150kg.

When the turbo hybrids were introduced, the maximum fuel allowance was 100kg, which was around 130-135 litres, and it has now settled with the 2026 rules on being around 105kg.

Ben Sulayem is well aware of the weight issue, and potential fuel consequences of a naturally aspirated V8, which is why he has commissioned a study within the FIA to evaluate the pros and cons of refuelling.

"How much you start with, how much you fill, this is what we are studying right now," he said.

"Of course, if you want to run the whole race, you have to have a bigger tank, or you have to stop. So this is something that we are going to look into."

Elements being looked at include the impact refuelling has on racing, as well as team budgets - with estimates suggesting it could cost each team around $4million per year for equipment and freight.

There is also a safety issue in play, although Ben Sulayem played down any fears on this front.

"It's not a concern if you do it in the right way," he said. "We are studying this and nothing has been done yet."