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What's the future for F1 engines and why is it up for debate?

Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari SF-25 in the pit lane at the Chinese Grand PrixGetty Images

F1 cars, such as Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari, use 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid engines

Andrew Benson
F1 Correspondent

Christian Horner's phone rang. It was Bernie Ecclestone. Red Bull's team principal picked up, switched to speakerphone and placed it on the table in front of the assembled Formula 1 bosses.

We're in the F1 Commission, Horner told Ecclestone. Is there anything you want to say to the room?

F1's former impresario, addressing the group that decides the sport's rules, said they should go back to V10 engines. Then he hung up.

That phone call - described to BBC Sport by several sources in the room at the time - took place in the morning of the day of F1's season launch at the O2 Arena in London in February, where both Horner and governing body the FIA were booed by the 15,000-strong crowd.

Two days later, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem - a man whose three-year tenure has been beset by controversy - posted a message on Instagram.

Ben Sulayem said he "looked forward" to the new chassis and engine rules that are to be introduced in 2026, but that the FIA "must also lead the way on future technological motorsport trends.

"We should consider a range of directions, including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel."

These developments have kick-started a debate inside F1 about engines. The ground is shifting fast, so what's going on?

What are the 2026 engine rules?

Next year, F1 is going through the biggest regulation change in the sport's history, introducing new rules for both cars and engines.

On engines, F1 is sticking with 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids, the basic architecture that has been in place since 2014, but changing the balance between electric and combustion power.

The amount of total power provided by the hybrid is going up to about 50% from about 20% now. In addition, F1 is introducing sustainable fuels - abandoning fossil fuels in favour of synthetic fuel created from biomass and industrial processes.

This is all part of the sport's pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2030.

So where has the V10 chat come from?

F1 in 10 Years: Lando Norris

Ever since hybrid engines were introduced in 2014, some have bemoaned the loss of the louder, more dramatic sound produced by the naturally aspirated engines that preceded them - especially the 3.0-litre V10s last raced in F1 in 2005.

In an unavoidable parallel with Ben Sulayem's actions now, Ecclestone was the first person to bring this up, even before the 2014 engines first raced.

A certain romanticism about the V10 sound has sustained, as has the idea that those engines - with their ear-splitting shriek that could be heard some distance from the track - are more popular with the fanbase than the current hybrids.

Within F1, there is no question that some people agree. Lewis Hamilton said at the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend: "It is no secret that the V6 has never sounded great.

"I the first time I came to an F1 race in 1996 in Spa and arriving and Michael (Schumacher) coming through Turn One and my rib cage just vibrated. I was so hooked. It was the most amazing thing I felt and heard.

"Over the years we've lost that. If we are able to move back to those amazing sounding engines and still able to see the sustainable goals, why not"Graphic image of, from left to right, Alex Albon, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman. It is on a blue background with 'Fan Q&A' below the drivers " loading="lazy" src="https://image.staticox.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Face%2Fstandard%2F1600%2Fsprodpb%2F835a%2Flive%2F1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg" srcSet="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/240/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 240w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/320/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/624/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/800/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 800w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/sprodpb/835a/live/1b0f27b0-07d2-11f0-94d4-6f954f5dcfa3.jpg 976w" width="1600" height="900" class="ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950"/>

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