Battle over F1’s future ignites as Red Bull and Ferrari back serious push for V10 comeback

The move to bring V10 engines back into F1 is increasingly becoming a real possibility as a few reports suggest that the 2026 engine regulations could even be dropped in favor of the power units last used in 2005. Red Bull and Ferrari are reportedly two teams in favor of a V10 comeback.

The currently proposed engine regulation changes are all set to kick in in 2026, which will see the sport move to a 50% electrified power unit, powered by fully sustainable fuels. The regulations are also introducing some aerodynamic changes, which are being labeled as 'active aerodynamics'.

But German outlet Auto Motor und Sport has recently reported that the chances of dropping the proposed 2026 regulations in favor of a V10 comeback in 2028 is being seriously considered by the sport's stakeholders. In this scenario, the current regulations would continue on for three more seasons after 2025, and the sport would transition straight into a return to the 10-cylinder engines.

This move, however, could prove to be a disaster for teams like Audi, who are entering the sport as an engine manufacturer in 2026 and have already begun their development based on the proposed regulations. Honda with Aston Martin and Ford with Red Bull could also potentially be in a similar boat.

Seemingly keeping this in mind, another proposal reportedly made by the F1 bosses has been to bring in the 2026 regulations as planned, but drop them in just three years, as opposed to the originally planned five years. This would mean V10 engines could return in 2028 as well.

Proposing the scrapping of the 2026 regulations this late on could prove to be a controversial decision and is unlikely to happen. But two of the sport's biggest powerhouses, Red Bull and Ferrari are said to be in favor of bringing the V10 engines back.

It would be difficult to see Red Bull agreeing to scrap the 2026 regulations completely though, as the Austrian team would not have an engine to compete with after having partnered with Ford to develop the engines for the upcoming new regulations. But PlanetF1 has also claimed that an 'insider' has suggested to them that the only teams pushing for the V10 engines are the ones who know that they are lagging in the development of their 2026 cars.

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FIA President is reportedly pushing for V10 Engines to shield F1 governing body from potential 2026 rule failure

Stefano Domenicali (L), CEO of the F1 Group, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

While some reports suggest that a move for F1 to the V10 engines is being proposed because manufacturing the ten-pot engine is cheaper for companies, Auto Motor und Sport has suggested that FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem is pushing to bring back the old engines in an attempt to rid himself and the organization of any blame if the 2026 regulations prove to be a failure.

Speaking about the potential of re-introducing the beastly engines back into F1, Ben Sulayem had said:

“We are engaged in discussions with a number of stakeholders to determine the future technical direction of F1 beyond the 2026 regulatory cycle. A V10 power train running on sustainable fuel would be part of those considerations which would be tied to environmental and cost-containment measures. We need to consider the appropriate technical path for the sport." [via PlanetF1]

Other reports have also suggested that the FIA President is trying to help the Cadillac, as the newest entries into the paddock have committed to developing their power units by 2028, and will be using the Ferrari engines in the meantime.

PlanetF1 has also suggested that the proposal of an extreme change to V10 may well be a negotiating tactic to have the teams settle in the middle for something like a V8 engine with turbo hybrid ancillaries.