Balding men in Jordan and Minardi caps will argue that F1 used to be much better: ‘At least that V10 from Schumacher made some noise. Those half lawnmowers make even less noise than my vacuum cleaner’. And they have a point. Stefano Domenicali thinks so too. The big boss of F1 wants the engines to make more noise from 2026.
Domenicali talks about the future of F1 at the Australian radio station 3AW. He is asked if the future of F1 is silent. Domenicali is firm about this: ‘No, very clear, no. Of course we have to be hybrid, we [blijven] hybrid in the future, but the intention is to ensure that with the new rules, the engine noise will be greater.’ According to Domenicali, it’s something the fans want. “It is our duty to comply,” he says.
What will change with the F1 engines in 2026?
Basically, many things remain the same around the powertrain. The 1.6-liter V6 turbo with electric assistance will remain in any case, but will be fueled with synthetic fuels in 2026. In addition, the MGU-H (a kind of dynamo that rotates with the help of exhaust gases) disappears. There will also be rules about the placement of main components.
Domenicali unfortunately says nothing about how the 2026 F1 engines will produce more decibels. Whether the men with life experience will soon be able to say that Verstappen is driving with a petty thief, we have to wait and see. We don’t expect the sound of the hybrid V6 to ever come close to the screeching of the 2000s V10.
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