FIA weighs third-party engine plan as F1 eyes cheaper V8 future

FIA considers new engine supply model for 2031

The FIA is evaluating whether Formula 1 should introduce a third-party engine supply route for customer teams from 2031, as the championship edges towards a cheaper, lighter and louder power unit formula built around a naturally aspirated V8.

The discussion comes as power unit politics remain central to the sport’s future. Recent debate around engine performance and governance has already kept the FIA in focus, including scrutiny of current and future power unit direction such as Red Bull’s position in the wider engine landscape, covered in this related analysis on Red Bull’s FIA engine verdict.

Customer teams under scrutiny

The subject resurfaced when Mercedes showed interest in acquiring a 24% stake in Alpine, only for talks to collapse over valuation. Against that backdrop, a lower-cost engine formula could allow the FIA to push teams either towards building their own power units or buying an off-the-shelf third-party supply, potentially weakening the current customer-team model.

Speaking at Silverstone, Ben Sulayem said: “There will be no control over the teams, A-team over the B-team, that’s supplied with their engines.” He added: “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’.”

Domenicali backs flexibility

Domenicali has also argued that a ‘white label’ engine option would give F1 more freedom when manufacturer interest fluctuates. He said an independent supply route could have allowed F1 and the FIA to offer engines to teams that wanted to race, while stressing manufacturers remain essential to the championship.

“Manufacturers are a vital piece of what we are doing,” Domenicali said. “But we cannot be anymore in a corner where manufacturers can dictate the pace to the sport. That’s a lesson learned.”

Third-party engines were once common in F1, but the turbo-hybrid era effectively ended that model due to cost and complexity. Today, Mercedes supplies McLaren, Williams and Alpine, Red Bull Ford Powertrains supplies Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, Ferrari supplies Haas and Cadillac, while Audi and Aston Martin operate as works-aligned projects. Cadillac is preparing to enter as an engine builder in 2029 and is understood to be supportive of a V8 shift.

Consensus still required

The FIA could impose a new power unit formula from 2031 under the current agreements, but doing so without broad support would risk alienating manufacturers. If a supermajority is found among the six power unit manufacturers, including General Motors, the V8 move could even be advanced to 2030.

Ben Sulayem has said the FIA has the authority to act for 2031, but wants the change earlier. Most manufacturers are believed to broadly support V8s, though Audi is understood to prefer retaining a turbocharger.