Ben Sulayem pushes for F1 return to V8 engines in 2030

Return to Africa

Ben Sulayem announced during a panel in Kigali alongside Rwandan president Paul Kagame and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali that his push for F1 to return to V8 engines would be going ahead in 2030. He sat with Kagame and Domenicali to discuss the return of racing to Africa. You likely recall the complaints from the paddock regarding the 2026 power units. While rumors previously suggested a 2031 transition when the regulation cycle ends, Ben Sulayem stated he has support from FOM and manufacturers to launch the new engines in 2030. This timeline coincides with the introduction of the African Grand Prix at a new facility in Rwanda.

Technical driver dissatisfaction

The technical shift responds to the weaknesses of the 2026 power units, which split output equally between the internal combustion engine and the battery. Because the 2026 rules changed the 2025 80-20 balance to a 50-50 split to attract manufacturers, cars must now perform heavy harvesting and charging when the battery depletes. Drivers like Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris criticized these demands. Ben Sulayem wants the new engines to be approximately 80 kilograms lighter and requires at least 50 per cent less spending on R&D and the engine itself. He also mentioned that the move is about the sound, not the noise. I think he is being overly optimistic by suggesting an 80kg weight reduction before the FIA has even published a 2030 minimum weight.

Implementation and racing schedule

The engine change coincides with the launch of the African Grand Prix in Rwanda. It is not yet clear if the Bugesera circuit near Kigali will be ready by 2030, though the race follows a 10-year deal. Audi’s Mattia Binotto noted during an FIA press conference in Baku that 2030 is the earliest possible introduction for V8s and that regulations need to be agreed and voted on before the end of the year. Will the sport meet this deadline to ensure the Rwandan race uses the new engines?