Ferrari F1 chief reveals 'advanced' FIA talks over old school V8 return

Lewis Hamilton, FIA, Ferrari, Belgium, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Ferrari F1 chief reveals 'advanced' FIA talks over old school V8 return

The Ferrari chief has revealed a potential change

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 8 May 2026 14:59

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has revealed that talks have been ongoing with the FIA about F1 power units.

There has been much discussion surrounding F1's hybrid power units in recent months, after new regulations tripled the emphasis on electrical energy heading into the 2026 season.

As well as having an almost exact 50/50 split between electrical energy and the internal combustion engine, the new 2026 power units' internal combustion engine runs entirely off sustainable fuels, helping in the sport's pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2030.

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The FIA have recently made small tweaks to the rules amid complaints from fans, pundits and drivers alike about the increased need to harvest energy and manage battery capacity, but bigger changes could happen in the future.

One proposal has suggested that F1 power units could return to the much-loved days of V8s, but using sustainable fuels rather than fossil fuels.

This would not only bring back the iconic noise associated with old F1 cars, but it would also limit the drivers having to manage their battery capacity or, as Lando Norris claimed he did at the Japanese Grand Prix, accidentally overtaking a rival.

The return of V8s is just one option being put forward, and it would be unlikely to happen until at least 2030 anyway, but now Ferrari CEO Vigna has revealed that talks are underway with the FIA about the direction to take with future power units.

"We believe in the continuity of propulsion with three engines," he told Motorsport.It. "We were already aware of these conversations with the FIA, which have been ongoing for some time.

"I think there's a need to review certain things every five years, as is done with the FIA regulations, but there will be no implications for road cars nor for our strategies." The publication indicates that these talks are so advanced that a definition on new regulations could be met by the end of the year.

F1 2026 Regulations: Every new rule and car change explained

The FIA's full statement on the new rule changes

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the FIA produced a rather long statement detailing the small 'tweaks' that they were making to the 2026 F1 regulations.

"A number of refinements to the 2026 FIA F1 world championship regulations were agreed today during an online meeting between the FIA, team principals, CEOs of power unit manufacturers and FOM," the statement began.

"The final proposals presented during today’s meeting were the result of a series of consultations over the past few weeks between the FIA, technical representatives and extensive input from F1 drivers.

"Discussions around potential adjustments were based on data gathered from the first three events of the 2026 season.

"The 2026 regulations were developed and agreed in close partnership with the FIA, teams, OEMs, Power Unit Manufacturers, and FOM. Changes to the regulations were discussed against the backdrop of this collaboration.

"The proposals agreed today were as follows and will be implemented from Miami apart from the race start changes that will be tested in Miami and adopted following feedback and analysis."

Qualifying

"Adjustments to energy management parameters, including a reduction in maximum permitted recharge from 8MJ to 7MJ, aimed at reducing excessive harvesting and encouraging more consistent flat-out driving. This change targets a maximum superclip duration reduced to approximately 2-4 seconds per lap.

"Peak superclip power increased to 350 kW, previously being 250kW, further reducing the time spent recharging, and reducing driver workload on energy management. This will also be applied in Race conditions.

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"The number of events where alternative lower energy limits may apply has been increased from 8 to 12 races, allowing greater adaptation to circuit characteristics."

Race

"The maximum power available through the Boost in race conditions is now capped at +150 kW (or the car’s current power level at activation if higher) limiting sudden performance differentials.

"MGU-K deployment is maintained at 350 kW in key acceleration zones (from corner exit to braking point, including overtaking zones) but will be limited to 250 kW in other parts of the lap.

"These measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities and overall performance characteristics."

Race starts

"A new 'low power start detection' system has been developed, capable of identifying cars with abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release.

"In such cases, an automatic MGU-K deployment will be triggered to ensure a minimum level of acceleration and mitigate start-related risks without introducing any sporting advantage."

F1 2026 Regulations: What has happened to the MGU-H?

"An associated visual warning system is being introduced, activating flashing lights (rear and lateral) on affected cars to alert following drivers.

"A reset of the energy counter at the start of the formation lap has also been implemented to correct a previously identified system inconsistency."

Wet conditions

"Tyre blanket temperatures for intermediate tyres have been increased following driver feedback in order to improve initial grip and tyre performance in wet conditions.

"Maximum ERS deployment will be reduced, limiting torque and improving car control in low-grip conditions.

"The rear light systems have been simplified, with clearer and more consistent visual cues to improve visibility and reaction time for following drivers in poor conditions."

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Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Ferrari FIA Benedetto Vigna