FIA Chief Ben Sulayem Pledges V8 Engine Return for Formula 1

FIA President Pledges V8 Return Ahead of Silverstone

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has publicly committed to delivering the return of V8 engines to the FIA Formula One World Championship. The pledge was issued ahead of the Pirelli British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Ben Sulayem is in attendance, according to Arab News. The current sources do not specify a target year for the change or detail the regulatory pathway required to enact it.

“As we look to the future, the FIA is ensuring Formula 1 remains at the forefront of global motorsport development bringing thrilling racing to a growing number of fans around the world, and I am committed to delivering the return of V8 engines, which will deliver for fans by being lighter, cheaper, safer and louder,” Ben Sulayem said, in a statement quoted by Arab News.

What the Pledge Covers — and What It Does Not Yet

In his statement, Ben Sulayem framed the proposed power unit around four fan-facing attributes: lighter, cheaper, safer and louder. The Arab News report does not indicate whether the V8 would replace the current 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid V6 unit used since 2014, run alongside it as an alternative specification, or be confined to a specific series or support category. No technical specifications, cost cap figures, or homologation timeline were disclosed in the available reporting.

Formula 1 currently operates with hybrid power units supplied by Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford Powertrains, and, from 2026, Audi and the General Motors-affiliated Cadillac project in partnership with Honda. Any change to the engine formula would require negotiation with these manufacturers and approval through the FIA’s sporting and technical rule-making processes. The supplied sources do not record any such consultation, manufacturer reaction, or timetable.

Silverstone as the Backdrop

The announcement was framed around the British Grand Prix, one of the oldest rounds on the calendar. Arab News reported that the race is forecast to attract a record crowd of more than half a million fans to Silverstone. Ben Sulayem referenced the circuit’s role in the championship’s history, noting that the first British Grand Prix took place at Brooklands in 1926 and that Silverstone hosted the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship race in 1950. The New York Times / Athletic track breakdown confirms that Silverstone, built on a former Royal Air Force base that opened in 1943, hosted the first world championship round and remains the home race for a notable share of the grid.

Five British drivers are entered for the race: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Oliver Bearman and Arvid Lindblad, according to Arab News. The Athletic noted that Alex Albon is British-born but races under the Thai flag and is not counted among the home competitors.

Track Character and Racing Considerations

The Athletic’s Silverstone preview describes a circuit defined by high-speed corners and the unpredictability of wind across its open layout. “The faster this track gets, the better it gets. It has to be the best track in the world, it feels like driving a fighter jet around the track,” Hamilton is quoted as saying. Driver Alex Albon told the publication that wind direction can substantially alter car balance through individual corners, requiring drivers to manage headwind and tailwind sections differently.

The breakdown also catalogues the corner names and their origins — Turn 1 Abbey, named for Luffield Abbey, whose remains were discovered near the corner; Turn 2 Farm, a left kink that traces its name to a working farm the cars once passed; Turn 3 Village, added to the layout in 2010; Turn 4 The Loop, the only corner named for its shape; Turn 5 Aintree, named for the Liverpool racecourse that hosted the British Grand Prix from 1955 to 1962; and the Wellington Straight, formed from an old RAF runway and renamed in 2010 in homage to the Wellington bombers based there during the war. The track crosses the county line between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

Historic Moments Cited

The Athletic’s preview revisited several past British Grand Prix flashpoints: Michael Schumacher against Ayrton Senna in 1993, Rubens Barrichello versus Schumacher in 2003, Sebastian Vettel versus Valtteri Bottas in 2018, and the 2022 race in which Sergio Pérez, Charles Leclerc and Hamilton traded the lead. The piece also noted that the 1950 race is the only British motorsport event attended by a reigning monarch, King George VI, who was accompanied by then-Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Lord and Lady Mountbatten.

What Stays Confirmed and What Remains Open

What is confirmed in the available reporting: Ben Sulayem made the commitment in his own words, the FIA framed it around four attributes (lighter, cheaper, safer, louder), and the statement was made publicly in the run-up to the British Grand Prix. What is not confirmed by the supplied sources: a target season, an engine displacement, a hybridisation component, a cost-cap figure, a manufacturer consultation process, any reaction from current power-unit suppliers, or any governance vote within the FIA or among the commercial rights holder, Formula One Management. Reporting on those elements should be sought from outlets covering the FIA’s technical and sporting working groups before the V8 pledge can be treated as a locked-in technical path.

Wider Context Provided by the FIA

In addition to the engine commitment, the FIA statement, as reported by Arab News, referenced plans for the FIA World Endurance Championship to return to Silverstone in 2027 with a newly added 6 Hours of Silverstone round. The statement also tied the milestone to grassroots development, citing the FIA Global Karting Plan as part of efforts to develop future talent and broaden participation in motorsport. The Athletic separately highlighted Silverstone’s role in the UK’s “motorsport valley,” noting that eight of the eleven Formula 1 teams are based in the country.

What to Watch Next

The immediate questions fall into two groups. First, regulatory: when the FIA plans to publish a draft engine regulation, what hybrid component (if any) would accompany the V8, and how it would interact with the cost cap introduced in 2021. Second, commercial and competitive: whether existing manufacturers would be willing to develop a V8 package, how the deal between Cadillac and Honda or the Audi entry from 2026 would be affected, and whether any new manufacturer interest is generated. Reporting from the British Grand Prix weekend — including any FIA press conference or technical briefing from Ben Sulayem — would be the next concrete checkpoint, followed by meetings of the FIA’s technical advisory committees in the months that follow.