Brundle in 'worst decision ever' U-turn on F1's turbo hybrid era

Martin Brundle has previously slammed Formula 1's plans to achieve net zero by 2030, but the former driver has now distanced himself from that stance.

F1 first launched the plan in 2019 after a report revealed that the sport's environmental impact was tantamount to 256,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions that year.

Greener steps have been since, with the 2025 season the last to feature the V6 hybrid turbo power unit formula, 100 per cent sustainably-fuelled hybrid engines replacing them the following year.

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The new engine change will have knock-on effects on the cars, with the vehicles set to be heavier and more wing movement to be expected, among other things.

Teams have been scrambling to get their new prototypes ready, and Brundle had previously criticised the new regulations in the strongest possible terms. But he has had a change of heart having seen some of them in action.

"I expressed in commentary recently that I felt these hybrid engines were perhaps the worst decision that Formula 1 ever made in terms of the cars have become so big and so complex," he said in the Sky Sports F1 Podcast. "But my goodness, they're fast and impressive."

It is still 22 months until the new, greener rules come into play, but Brundle does still think more parameters need to be set in stone ahead of the deadline.

"I think the teams will be getting quite edgy and angsty about what are we aiming at, what are the regulations, so we need to start putting some things to bed," he said. "But luckily with the incredible resource that ingenuity of Formula 1, they will get it sorted out."

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