Max Verstappen said he could be tempted to race in the top flight for longer if Formula 1 returned to V10 engines powered by sustainable fuels in 2030, with Lewis Hamilton joining him in reminiscing and wishing.
F1 cars have been powered by 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid engines since 2014, with new rules from next year to 2030. But the president of the sport's governing body last month raised the possibility of a return to the louder, high-revving V10s as it considers the technical direction from 2030.
Asked if a return to V10 engines could tempt him to race in F1 for longer, four-times F1 world champion Verstappen told reporters on Thursday ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix: "Maybe. It's definitely more exciting than what we have now.
"I'm not in charge of the rules, but, of course, for the pure emotion of the sport, a V10 is definitely much better than what we have now. I remember when I was a kid, when you walk around, you have the noise of the engines, it brings so much more.
"Even if the speed of the car was maybe slower, just the feeling you got from an engine like that is something that you can´t describe compared with what we have now," added 27-year-old Verstappen, who has at times voiced concerns about the sport's direction and his role within it.
Ferrari's seven-time F1 World Champion Hamilton, who started racing in F1 in 2007, one year after the sport switched to V8 engines, joined his Dutch rival for the 2021 drivers' title in expressing his appreciation for a V10 engine: "There's no secret that a V6 has never sounded great.
"I remember the first time I came to Formula 1 in 1996 at Spa. I was driving and Michael (Schumacher) coming through Turn 1, and my ribcage just vibrated. If we're able to move back to those amazing sounding engines and sustainability, if we're still able to meet the sustainable goals, why not?" Hamilton added.
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