Formula 1 teams are due to meet at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday to discuss the proposed return of V10 engines. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing to bring them back.
F1 will retain its 1.6-litre V6 hybrid next year as a new ruleset begins. With the sport targeting net-zero emissions by 2030, the power units will run on sustainable fuels and 50% battery power.
The original plan was for the rules to be in place until 2030, at which point the next cycle could begin. However, Ben Sulayem wants them scrapped after just two or three years.
He wants the roaring V10s, synonymous with Michael Schumacher’s era of dominance at Ferrari, to return. They would still use sustainable fuels.
However, the plan needs to be backed by four of the five engine manufacturers (Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Powertrains). As it stands, it looks unlikely to receive the required support.
Lance Stroll calls for return of V10 engines in Bahrain Grand Prix press conference
Speaking in the drivers’ press conference ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll voiced his support for Ben Sulayem’s idea. He also expressed the importance of the cars being more nimble to promote better racing.
“V10s sound good,” he said. “I think keeping the cars light is important. Light cars are more fun to drive. They’ve gotten heavy, they’ve gotten big over the years.”
The Canadian is a divisive figure both inside and outside the paddock. Many in F1 doubt Stroll’s ‘qualities’, according to a report in the off-season.
Critics say that he only has a seat at Aston Martin because his father Lawrence owns the team and doesn’t deserve it otherwise. However, his fans could point out that he’s finished on the podium three times and has a pole position to his name.
Many members of the F1 Reddit community agreed with his remarks on the sport’s future – much to their surprise.
“Never thought I’d see a Lance Stroll statement that I would agree with on multiple points. Wow,” one user wrote.
Another added that the situation is ‘clearly not good’ because Stroll had broken his ‘PR vow of silence’. He was praised for ‘finally’ saying ‘something that makes sense’.
Other comments included ‘you know it’s bad when Stroll says as much as he does’, ‘Stroll dropping truth bombs’ and ‘Stroll says it the best’.
What Lewis Hamilton has said about V10 engines as F1 considers radical move
Stroll has looked disinterested at times, including at the F1 75 launch in London during the winter. But it seems he does have fairly strong opinions on the future of the series.
Aston Martin will split with longtime partners Mercedes at the end of the year and effectively become the Honda works team. Perhaps the drivers were playing something of a political game on Thursday, voicing their teams’ viewpoints as if they were their own.
Significantly, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been a supporter of V10s. Ferrari are one of the manufacturers who support the 2028 or ’29 change.
Hamilton even agreed with Max Verstappen, his greatest rival, when discussing the matter in China. He shared fond memories of the Schumacher/Ferrari years and feels F1 can tap into that nostalgia.
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