FIA PRESIDENT SAYS V8 ENGINES COULD RETURN TO F1 BY 2030: 'IT IS COMING'

Photo: Race Pictures

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said F1 could return to V8 engines as early as 2030. The Emirati said it is "only a matter of time" before the iconic roar of the V8 makes it way back into the sport, having last featured from 2006 to 2013.

F1's engine future has been the subject of heavy debate for some time now, only more so since the introduction of the 2026 regulations, which introduced a 50:50 split between electrical power and the internal combustion engine, and has been widely criticised by drivers and fans alike.

During the three opening rounds, chief among the concerns in 2026 were the need to lift and coast in qualifying, as opposed to pushing flat-out, super-clipping - when the MGU-K diverts its attention to slowing the car down and harvesting energy at high speed - as well as dangerous closing speeds, as seen in the 50G crash suffered by Haas' Ollie Bearman at Suzuka.

Even in Miami, where the 2026 rules have been tweaked following the April break, drivers are still not wholly convinced. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll kicked off the weekend by launching an attack on the "fundamentally flawed" regulations that are "destroying racing," while calling for a return to previous generations of F1 engines.

Ben Sulayem makes F1 engine promise: 'V8 is coming' 

Photo: Race Pictures

If Ben Sulayem's comments at Miami are anything to go by, Stroll might not have to wait too long to get his way. When asked whether F1 could return to V8s or V10s, the FIA President said: “It’s coming. Oh yes, it is coming. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of time," as per RacingNews365.

What's more, however, is that the FIA boss expressed confidence a change could be implemented by 2030 even without the approval of F1's PUMs [power unit manufacturers]. Manufacturers such as Audi and Honda are understood to have joined, or stayed in, F1 as a result of the move to road relevant electrification.

Ben Sulayem said: "In 2031, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the PUMs. That’s the regulations. But we want to bring it one year earlier, which everyone [externally] now is asking for. When you try to tell them [the PUMs] they say no, but what will come, will come, and it [the power] will come back to the FIA."

Speaking of road relevance, Ben Sulayem said V8s would be the preferred route for F1, given that V10s are becoming less common on production vehicles. There was also the suggestion that electrical power would see a "very, very minor" role in these new changes.

“I feel like a V10…if I ask any of the manufacturers who are in F1 now if they produce any cars with a V10, an era that many of the cars had, but now, no," said Ben Sulayem.The most popular and easiest to work with is the V8. You get the sound, less complexity, lightweight.

"You will hear about it very soon, and it will be with a very, very minor electrification, but the main one will be the engine. It will not be something like now, which is a 46-54 split. There will be very minimal [electric] power."

Once again, the FIA chief was adamant such a move could be made, claiming that even without PUM approval, a change is in the offing. He concluded: "I'm targeting 2030. One year before the maturity [of the regulations]. it will happen. They [manufacturers] want it to happen.

"But let's say the manufacturers don't [vote for it], then one more year and it will be done. It's not a matter of, 'Do I need their support?' No, it will be done. V8 is coming.”

- Henry Eccles

TIMO GLOCK URGES FERRARI TO 'INTERVENE' INTO CHARLES LECLERC AND LEWIS HAMILTON'S BATTLES

Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Timo Glock believes Ferrari need to take action to ensure Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton don’t cost each other in future races.

After Charles Leclerc managed to secure P3 at the Japanese Grand Prix, an irate Lewis Hamilton demanded an explanation as to why he experienced power issues that Leclerc didn’t.

Lewis Hamilton wasn’t the only one unhappy with Ferrari, as Leclerc wanted to see massive improvement in the SF-26 over the five-week hiatus this season.

However, within the team, there isn’t much concern about the two drivers battling, as Fred Vasseur welcomed some intra-team competition

But former F1 driver Timo Glock believes this approach to the internal issues is a dangerous one from Ferrari, as the two competitive drivers will eventually cause friction.

hoto by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Timo Glock says Ferrari must avoid Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton-based ‘disadvantage’

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Timo Glock addressed the battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton during the Japanese Grand Prix.

He believes that the two drivers are bound to be in a position where they’re fighting each other for a potential podium, they will lose places and cost the team points.

“The limit must be clearly there if the team finds itself at a disadvantage. If the two are fighting at the front, getting in each other’s way, and losing places as a result, then the team has to intervene somewhere.”

“Charles Leclerc is still a bit more consistent, but Lewis Hamilton is definitely back where we all want to see him – with confidence and fun racing.”

While Ferrari didn’t admonish either driver for their battle after the race, Hamilton possibly getting a new race engineer ahead of the Miami Grand Prix is a sign that they’re addressing the matter internally.

Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari power issues ‘addressed’ ahead of Miami Grand Prix

Speaking after the race at Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton questioned how, despite following Ferrari’s instructions, he suffered from power issues.

“Pretty bad in the end, because I was on P3 and in the end, I ended up on P6. I just have to understand where we lost power, especially in the second stint.”

“I don’t quite understand that. I’m all on the gas, managing where they tell me to manage it. Today, some performance was simply missing, so yes, there are still some points to be addressed.”

There will be a lot of work to do for the staff at Maranello over the next few weeks, as Ferrari look to close the gap between themselves and Mercedes.

These potential upgrades could make a world of difference for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in their quest to compete for the world championship.

Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images

- Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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'STILL EARLY DAYS TO THINK ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP' – YOUNGEST F1 POINTS LEADER ANTONELLI REFLECTS ON JAPANESE GP VICTORY

Back-to-back wins have moved Kimi Antonelli into the lead of the Drivers' Championship for the first time.

Kimi Antonelli believes it is "still early days to think about the championship" despite taking victory in the Japanese Grand Prix and becoming the youngest driver to lead the championship in Formula 1 history.

The 19-year-old Italian made it back-to-back wins on Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit following his success in China at the previous round, where he became the youngest Grand Prix winner in the process.

Having claimed pole in Japan, Antonelli suffered a terrible start and dropped as low as sixth on the opening lap before cycling back towards the front as McLaren and Ferrari pitted their drivers.

The crucial moment came approaching the mid-point of the 53-lap race, Mercedes team mate George Russell pitting from the lead just as a Safety Car was deployed following a heavy crash for Ollie Bearman.

The caution allowed new race leader Antonelli to make a pit stop and rejoin at the front of the field before romping to victory by nearly 14 seconds.

With Russell struggling for performance and being forced to settle for fourth at the chequered flag, Antonelli now leads the standings for the first time by 9 points after the opening three Grands Prix of the season.

"It feels pretty good. Of course it's still early days to think about the Championship but we're in a good way," said Antonelli post-race.

"In the race, had a terrible start, just need to check what happened but then I was lucky with the Safety Car to be in the lead but then the pace was just incredible and was a really nice second stint. I felt very good with the car and very pleased with that.

"I think we were obviously very lucky with the Safety Car but on the medium we were really strong once I got some clean air and then on the hard the pace was just incredible.

"I don't know what would have happened, what the outcome would have been without the Safety Car but definitely made my life a lot easier."

Antonelli leads the Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career

With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races not taking place in April, there's a gap until the next race in Miami with teams set to bring significant upgrades to the American race.

Antonelli stated his focus would be on improving his starts, which have been sub-optimal compared with Mercedes' rivals throughout 2026 so far.

He said: "Luckily I've got three weeks so now I can practice some clutch drops just to get a better feel with it because definitely it has been a weak point so far this year and we need to improve that because you can easily win or lose races with that."

- F1

HAAS ISSUES OLIVER BEARMAN STATENENT AFTER 50G SHUNT AT F1 JAPANESE GP

Oliver Bearman suffered a high speed crash at the F1 Japanese GP

Oliver Bearman has been cleared by the FIA medical centre following a 50G crash at the 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.

Bearman would have hoped to capitalise on his stellar start to the 2026 campaign at the Suzuka International Circuit, on Sunday.

However, mid-way through the 53-lap race, the Briton suffered a massive shunt in the run up to the Spoon Curve.

The Haas driver was on the gearbox of Franco Colapinto before he seemingly drifted onto the grass on the right-hand side and lost control of his VF-26.

Colapinto veered towards the outside of the tarmac, catching Bearman unwares, partly owing to the difference in closing speeds as the Argentinian driver was also harvesting the battery on his A526.

This sent him barrelling towards the barriers on the outside and resulted in a 50G impact for the 20-year-old Ferrari academy product.

While he got out of the car, Bearman was in visible discomfort particuarly with his right leg. The Banbury-based team has now issued a statement with respect to its driver’s well-being.

Haas has confirmed to media including Motorsport Week that Bearman had been taken to the FIA medical centre following the incident and underwent x-ray tests.

Bearman has suffered no fractures, thankfully, but has endured a right knee contusion.

Haas issued another update towards the end of the race, stating:

“Ollie has been cleared by Medical Centre.

“He has FIA dispensation to not attend Media Pen – we will make a quote available post-race etc.”

Lucklily for Bearman, the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, in April, means he will have enough time to recuperate before F1 goes back racing at the Miami International Autodrome in May.

- Anirban Aly Mandal

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JAPANESE GP: HAMILTON SAYS FEELING WITH MERCEDES CAR HAS IMPROVED

Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh in Japan, with teammate George Russell in ninth. Clive Mason/Getty Images

 

SUZUKA, Japan -- Despite qualifying seventh for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton said his feeling within his Mercedes car was the best he's had for three seasons.

Mercedes has been unable to challenge Red Bull and Max Verstappen since F1's current technical regulations were introduced at the start of 2022.

The team has made another slow start to the championship this year, with Hamilton scoring just eight points from the opening three races, but he said the feeling within the car was a lot better in Japan than it had been at the first three races and the two seasons before that.

"It's been a night-and-day different weekend so far, just in terms of how comfortable I feel in the car," he said. "I think we did a really good job over this past week, the analysis everyone has done at the factory how we can get the car in the sweet spot, the car's been much nicer to drive this weekend, especially at a track like this where you need a nice balance. This is the nicest it's felt over the last three years.

"I think last year [at Suzuka] we were over a second off, I think 0.7s today, and I'm not trying all these random different things, so just focused on making sensible setup changes, and I think it's worked. But I was hoping we'd be further ahead."

"The lap felt really good, I was hopeful, I thought the lap was really, really good, but [the size of the gap] is to be expected from the Red Bull"

For the first time this year, Hamilton outqualified his teammate George Russell, but the seven-time champion, who will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of this season, said he is not worried about the head-to-head competition with Russell this year.

"We're not fighting for a championship, we're just trying to get the best out of the car so it doesn't make any difference to me," he said. "I'm just happier with a cleaner qualifying session and a car that I'm starting to feel like I can lean on more, and that's a real positive."

- Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor

F1 JAPANESE HOST HOPES CALENDER SHIFT, WEAK YEN WILL BOOST FOREIGN FANS

Reuters 

 The host of this week's Japanese Grand Prix is hoping a calendar shift to one of the country's peak tourist seasons and a cheap currency may bring in more international visitors to an event that traditionally has attracted a mainly domestic audience.

The Formula One race has been moved from its usual autumn slot, during the typhoon season when heavy rains have marred the spectacle in the past, to April 5-7, coinciding with the peak of Japan's world-renowned cherry blossom, or 'sakura', bloom.

Japan's weak yen, currently at multi-decade lows against the U.S. dollar, is also driving a rebound in tourists following strict travel curbs imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The race at the Suzuka track, a favourite among drivers due to its technical twists and high-speed straights, drew its biggest crowd in nearly two decades last year, driven partly by a bounce in overseas visitors.

"With the further depreciation of the yen and the cherry blossom season, we hope the number of international fans will be at the same level or even higher than last year," said Eijiro Oda, general manager of Suzuka Circuit, run by Honda Mobilityland.

An estimated 40,000 tickets were sold to international visitors last year, a four-fold jump since the years immediately before the pandemic, according to Honda Mobilityland.

In order to promote the race internationally, the circuit has for the first time began posting English language content on social media: offering tips for travel and sightseeing.

Masumi Watabi, 49, who runs a restaurant selling Japanese fish cake stew in front of the Shiroko station, from where F1 fans usually take shuttle buses to the circuit, said he also hopes the growth in foreign fans can continue.

“Last year, we had an explosive growth in customers from abroad in my restaurant. This year ... we hope that many overseas visitors will come in the spring, when Japan is at its most beautiful," he said.

On Sunday’s race day last year, 80% of customers were foreigners, he added.

Russian Aleksandr Kriukov, 42, is one such overseas F1 fan heading to Suzuka this year.

"I want to see sakura (cherry blossoms) ... and I want to see Suzuka. It’s a very good time for me. Spring is the best time," he said at a F1 fan festival event in Tokyo.

- Irene Wang