With Audi and Honda swelling F1’s ranks by committing to the sustainably fuelled turbo hybrid regulations from 2026, the significance of what is happening goes well beyond the spectacle of having six car makers going up against each other on track.
In fact, there is a bigger global picture at play here and one that could well dictate the future of road car engines.
It did not take long after Honda’s recent U-turn decision for some key messages to emerge about where F1 was heading and what it means for the vehicles that we see on the roads every day.
As Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: “For me, it demonstrates that the combustion engine isn't dead yet and that there's still life in combustion.
“Obviously when they [Honda] withdrew, it was because of electrification. And I think perhaps with sustainable fuels and zero emissions, plus the route that Formula 1 is going for 2026, combustion became relevant to them again.”
EU developments
After many years where governments led car-makers and the public down a path where an all-electric future was being mandated, the landscape has been shifting over recent months.
Where once it appeared that an EU ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 would mark the death knell of the internal combustion engine, things are not so clear cut now.
As the EU regulations have worked their way through parliament, concessions have been made to ensure the necessary approval from various governments.
And, as well as low-volume car makers now being able to continue selling traditional engines, so the German government stepped in to ensure an exemption for engines powered by carbon neutral e-fuel.
That move has prompted the Italian government to seek exemptions for biofuels.
Now, helped in part by F1 representatives including CEO Stefano Domenicali being at the heart of discussions around Europe to better educate the decision-makers, the message seems to be getting through of a more considered response.
Source: Autosport