Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali believes the series’ new engine regulations for 2026 could be the last which require hybrid power units.
The new rules, which were agreed two years ago, will rely more heavily on electrical power than before. But Domenicali believes the arrival of ‘sustainable’ fuels in 2026 will allow F1 to do away with hybrids and shift back to using conventional combustion engines in the future.
“My personal opinion is that it would be sufficient to use climate-neutral fuel,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “However, we had to take the manufacturers’ wishes into account.
“Things have developed so quickly that today a decision might be different from two years ago. I am not an engineer, but I must have a vision of what the sport will look like in the future.
“I can imagine that with the next regulations, we could limit ourselves to sustainable fuel. If we are able to show that we produce zero emissions with it, we can focus on other important aspects of sustainability.”
The decision to increase the electrical power of the 2026 engines was taken due to pressure from car manufacturers, said Domenicali.
“You always have to keep an eye on the political climate of the time,” he said. “There were moments when we were asked to go completely electrified. We stuck to the hybrid solution and then realised that with sustainable fuel we could show the world that there are other technologies. But at the time when the 2026 engine regulations were written, we could not do without hybrid.
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“At the time, it was important to the manufacturers that the share of electric power was increased. Today they might think differently because the world has realised that there are several ways to achieve sustainability. Today they realise that our approach with the fuel could be of benefit to them in the series.
“It is no coincidence that more and more manufacturers are interested in Formula 1. We know that development in Formula 1 finds a solution for everything. If the goal is not ambitious, the engineers will have achieved it tomorrow. Just look at how the current cars and hybrid drives have developed since 2014.”
From 2026, F1 will require teams to use synthetic fuel which comes from a carbon-neutral source. Although such fuels can be used in conventional road cars, they cannot yet be produced in sufficient quantities to replace fossil fuels, which Domenicali acknowledged.
“People need to understand that the fuel we will use will not only be sustainable, but can be put into any road car as soon as the market is able to offer this fuel at a reasonable price,” he said. “At the moment, this goal is still a long way off, but Formula 1 is known for being able to achieve a lot in a compressed time. That must be our message.
“We don’t want to fight against electric vehicles, but rather open people’s eyes to the fact that there are other technologies to reach the goal. And we need to promote our sport by showing everyone that Formula 1 is ahead of everyone else in the development of these fuels.”
Domenicali said removing hybrids would make it easier for the sport to achieve other improvements it wants to see from future rules.
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“Cars and engines would then be lighter and less complex again,” he said. “And the engines would have a good sound once more. That is important to the fans.
“But for now, we should concentrate on the next step, not the one after that.”
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