2026 Hybrid Powerunits

[bananapeel23]

We are not getting a very mild hybrid NA V8 and anyone who thinks we will is either completely out of touch with reality or too angry to think rationally.

The new engine regs need to be voted through by the very teams that wanted a 30% fuel cut from the most efficient internal combustion engines ever, while losing efficiency in the process. They are entirely concerned with the environmental optics of the engines they are manufacturing, and an NA V8 with a tiny KERS-like hybrid component is the exact opposite of that. You will not convince these PU Manufacturers to accept such an engine. This is purely a marketing campaign from MBS to increase his own popularity.

The next PU will likely remain a small displacement hybrid. It could potentially be NA V8, but it won't be the 2013 style V8 that everyone seems to be imagining. It will have a modestly sized MGU-K and almost certainly front axle harvesting or a GU-H. You will not convince Audi, Mercedes or Honda to sign on otherwise. Red Bull, Ferrari and Cadillac won't care, but you need manufacturer approval to push a new regulation set through.

[gearboxtrouble]

You don’t need manufacturer consensus to sign off on a new engine formula. The FIA could pass a set of regs and the manufacturers could sign on or leave. Its true that in the past they have tried to operate on consensus but that was a voluntary decision they made, not a requirement. Its that sort of lowest common denominator process thats led to the garbage we have out on track today. The FIA has repeatedly emphasized weight, simplicity, driver control and cost for the next formula. Anything more than a small driver controlled MGUK would be completely against those goals. A 2.4L turbo V8 with a 100hp spec MGUK running the current fuels would be much lighter, cheaper and faster than the current engines.

3-4 manufacturers are plenty enough for F1 and I don’t think Mercedes and the VAG group will quit. Honda probably will but they change their minds on F1 every couple of years anyway and keeping them shouldn’t be a priority. Mercedes has just u turned to developing a new generation AMG flat plane V8. The VAG group just committed to investing $65b in new ICE development. A simpler V8 formula with a basic hybrid system would likely let Mclaren build a works engine as well. This isn’t 2020 and the future of large displacement, high cylinder count combustion engines looks secure for the foreseeable future at the high end of the road car market.

[mzso]

Well we can at least rule out your dream of full electric. Personally I don't mind hybrids with a reasonable power split.

I never had such dreams.

But if F1 wanted to be tech-forward, and " the pinnacle" it should full electric. F1 will just be going backwards, if V8's actually happen.

The full quote is encouraging. If they can minimize the electrical component and completely remove this horrible energy starvation aspect we see today, it would be a huge step towards keeping F1 the pinnacle of motorsports. Yes you'd probably lose a few manufacturers but RBPT Ford, Ferrari, GM and likely Mercedes won't go anywhere and the sport itself becomes a lot more road relevant to what super and hypercar powertrains are increasingly pivoting to.

It will almost be like the V6 hybrids, only stupider. Particularly if it's NA, which I don't see stated BTW.

[gruntguru]

He has the credibility of Donald Trump, so take it with a barrel of salt.

. . or even just a grain . .

[Badger]

Well we can at least rule out your dream of full electric. Personally I don't mind hybrids with a reasonable power split.

I never had such dreams.

But if F1 wanted to be tech-forward, and " the pinnacle" it should full electric. F1 will just be going backwards, if V8's actually happen.

That's why FE is seen as the pinnacle.

[eyelid]

Full Electric isn't pinnacle. They're performance is laughable compared to F1 if you compare lap times between FE and F1. BEV just always loses on every category if you start comparing performance of different technologies and records.

[gearboxtrouble]

Mercedes is fully behind the move to V8s though 1200 total hp is way too much. Safety pretty much correlates power and weight as cars need to add more crash structure. Sub 1000hp total output should be the goal

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1s- ... -era-team/

[mzso]

Full Electric isn't pinnacle. They're performance is laughable compared to F1 if you compare lap times between FE and F1. BEV just always loses on every category if you start comparing performance of different technologies and records.

FE cars are not designed to be as fast as F1... For one they use like two sets of tires on a weekend.

[gearboxtrouble]

But if F1 wanted to be tech-forward, and " the pinnacle" it should full electric. F1 will just be going backwards, if V8's actually happen.

It will almost be like the V6 hybrids, only stupider. Particularly if it's NA, which I don't see stated BTW.

If full electric was the pinnacle then track days would be full of BEVs instead of ICE cars, many of which might be much slower in a straight line but will absolutely destroy even the fastest BEV on earth over a 60 lap stint. Its also about the spectacle - F1 is about the sounds and small, fast cars that can do things that seem impossible. As FE's viewership shows, full electric motorsports has a long, long, long way to go to capture public imagination.

[mzso]

But if F1 wanted to be tech-forward, and " the pinnacle" it should full electric. F1 will just be going backwards, if V8's actually happen.

It will almost be like the V6 hybrids, only stupider. Particularly if it's NA, which I don't see stated BTW.

If full electric was the pinnacle then track days would be full of BEVs instead of ICE cars, many of which might be much slower in a straight line but will absolutely destroy even the fastest BEV on earth over a 60 lap stint.

A completely nonsensical statement. Track days have nothing to do with technology whatsoever.
When you look at performance charecteristics and efficiency, ICE drive is just clearly inferior. And have hard limits much below electric motors. It's not really a subjective thing. So if you use something that inherently is worse, even at theoretical limits, it can't be any sort of "pinnacle" of technology.

Its also about the spectacle - F1 is about the sounds and small, fast cars that can do things that seem impossible. As FE's viewership shows, full electric motorsports has a long, long, long way to go to capture public imagination.

Noise proved to be of little to no relevance in F1's popularity. A tiny percentage of viewer constantly complain since 2014, yet popularity. Nothing else sou said is incompatible with electric drive

FE popularity is what it is because it's not called F1, it's like a decade old without 75 years of marketing behind it, wasn't trying to reach F1 levels of performance, and didn't race on grand prix circuits.