FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem Says V-8s are Part of Formula One's Sustainability Plan
The president of the FIA spoke with Car and Driver about the logistics of bringing V-8s back to F1 and how he thinks McLaren could become an engine supplier.
FIA President Talks V-8s, F1 Sustainability NurPhoto - Getty Images Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), was jovial in the minutes following the 2026 Miami Grand Prix. "The changes we made worked," Ben Sulayem said as he sat down with Car and Driver for an interview. With how casually the FIA President spoke, you'd hardly know that moments before, he had overseen Kimi Antonelli's third consecutive celebration on the top step of the Formula 1 podium.
"You can see that the level of competitiveness is much higher than it was in Australia. " Bradley Collyer - PA Images - Getty Images While Ben Sulayem's comments ring true—the Miami Grand Prix did provide an exciting race—we're more concerned with his recent comments about bringing V-8 engines back to Formula 1. "It is happening," Ben Sulayem told Car and Driver .
"But of course, consultation is also needed. " The FIA, which sets the rules and regulations governing Formula 1, recently signed its ninth Concorde Governance Agreement with the sport and its member teams, which remains in effect through 2030. "In 2031, the FIA doesn't need any voting," Ben Sulayem said to C/D , suggesting that the FIA could strong-arm a return to F1 without actually saying as much.
"But it's not about that. It's about listening to the manufacturers. " To Ben Sulayem, reintroducing V-8s to Formula 1 is not an if; it is a when.
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