FIA’s boss says V8 engines could come back as soon as 2030. Regardless of manufacturer support, the hybrid V6s will be ditched. Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the V8s will have slight electrification. Since 2014, Formula 1 has been using 1.6-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engines. They proved hugely controversial when first introduced and have become particularly contentious this year as the reliance on electric power has increased substantially. It seems the FIA knows it messed up with the current regulations and is committed to rectifying them with all-new V8s. The final era of V8s ended in 2013. For several years, all cars on the F1 grid used high-revving 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8s, free from electrification, and screaming (almost) as loudly as the V10s and V12s that they replaced. There have been murmurs that the sport is reintroducing larger-capacity engines for quite some time, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is determined to make it happen. Read: After Stellantis, F1 Wants To Bring Back V8s Too “It’s coming. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of time,” he said while speaking at the Miami Grand Prix. “In ​2031, the V8, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the PUMs (Power ​Unit Manufacturers). That’s the regulations. But we want to bring it one year earlier, which everyone ⁠now is asking for.” For the change to a V8 to be made in 2030, at least four of the current six engine manufacturers will need to vote in favor. If this doesn’t happen, the FIA will have the power to force the switch the following year, regardless of the support from the power unit manufacturers, currently including Mercedes, Honda, Ferrari, GM, Audi, and Red Bull. A Return To The Glory Days? Ferrari F1 “I’m positive, they want it to happen. But let’s say the manufacturers don’t approve it, the next year it will happen. In 2031, it’s done anyway. It will be done. V8 is coming,” Ben Sulayem reiterated, Autosport reports. During the same interview, he noted the V8 will be paired with “very, very minor electrification.” While news of the V8 returning will no doubt delight many fans, it’s possible it could push some engine manufacturers away from the sport. Companies, including GM, Audi, and Ford, through its tie-up with Red Bull, were convinced to join the sport because of its emphasis on electrification for this year, and they may not want to go back to V8s. Mercedes-AMG Petronas