FIA considering the return of refueling and third-party engines in new Formula 1 regulation cycle

Ben Sulayem was present in Silverstone for the British Grand Prix last weekend and issued a statement ahead of it confirming his commitment to bringing the V8 engines back to power F1 cars after the disastrous power units under the 2026 regulations.

It seems there have been discussions in Silverstone between the stakeholders as the development of the next round of regulations continues.

One of the topics that emerged was the return of refueling, and that is rooted in the fact that V8s will require more fuel, which will, in turn, require bigger tanks.

That will consequently make the cars heavier and bigger, which is the opposite of what the FIA is pushing for, with Ben Sulayem calling for lighter cars in the future.

As such, refueling has emerged as a solution that will help keep the fuel tanks smaller and the cars lighter.

Ben Sulayem said: "The refueling we are studying as we speak. It's not a concern if you do it in the right way. So we are studying this. Nothing is being done yet.

"Refueling with sustainable fuel with electrification. Maybe we look at giving more electrification than 10%. Really, we are open," he added.

Refueling was banned at the end of the 2009 F1 season on a safety and cost-cutting basis, but it seems having the V8s will be considerably cheaper than the current power units, which will allow for having refueling back.

Another topic that was brought up was that of customer teams, with several teams buying their power units from their rivals, which raised questions regarding alliances with the paddock, something McLaren CEO Zak Brown pointed out in a letter to the FIA recently, also questioning the fairness that Red Bull owns both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

But Ben Sulayem claims these worries will be dealt with; he said: "There will be no control over the ⁠teams, A-team ​over the B-team, that's supplied with their engines.

"If it ​is affordable, then we will have one engine for the rest of the B-teams, so nobody can leverage them and tell them to 'vote this ​way, or we are not going to give you a good engine'," he concluded. (Source: Reuters)