Although it is not yet official, it is a matter of time. And it is that Formula 1, which has been working on it for years, has finally prepared an attractive scenario for the arrival of new car manufacturers.
When Formula 1 ushered in the hybrid era in 2014, it opted for a sophisticated power unit made up of a turbocharged hybrid V6 combustion engine of 1.6 liters associated with two energy recuperators; the famous MGU-H and MGU-K.
The second was an evolution of the pioneering KERS used in 2009, while the the first one was a novelty and, in the long run, a mistake for its technical complexity and its ability to burn money during its development.
“The 2026 engine will be much cheaper to develop thanks to its technical simplification”
The category hoped that this technology, adapted to the evolution that the automotive industry was experiencing at the time, would attract new manufacturers eager to show their capacity with Formula 1 as a platform.
The first to try was Hondabut it soon became clear that the strategy had been a mistake, as these engines were so highly complex that existing manufacturers had a development advantage that was simply impossible to catch up with.
The Japanese brand has suffered the unspeakable, it has been humiliated and, finally, after seven years of hard work, it has said goodbye to Formula 1 with a world title under its arm and billions invested. His journey at least served a purpose: he showed the other manufacturers that F1 was a exclusive preserve of Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault. Pretending otherwise was economic and commercial suicide.
Formula 1 reacts
Liberty Media had to arrive in 2017 so that Formula 1 could see clearly that the current engines represented, in practice, an insurmountable wall for the arrival of new manufacturers. And he went to work on a solution.
The problem was that the participating bikers had already spent a lot of money on this technology and were not willing to let it go just like that. This has generated a change of plans on the original roadmap: to release a new engine regulation in 2021 to not do it until 2026.
This is the current Formula 1 engine, a propellant that has frightened manufacturers due to its complexity.
Throughout these years, various negotiations have taken place to lay the foundations for the new engine with very clear premises: it should be cheaper, simpler and more attractive.
Initially, manufacturers like Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin or independent motorists like Cosworth they joined the negotiations, but soon the Formula 1 manufacturers marked territory and the situation stalled.
Finally, the 2026 engine has already been defined and its regulations approved, so Formula 1 is preparing to receive new main actors.
Audi and Porsche
These new members of the stellar cast of Formula 1 are Audi and Porsche, two brands belonging to the Volkswagen Group. But why is the category now attractive for these two great automobiles?
The first reason is obvious: the 2026 engine will be much cheaper to develop thanks to its technical simplification. In essence, it will be the same 1.6-liter turbocharged V6, but the troublesome MGU-H will disappear and the hybrid part will gain prominence.
This means that, on the one hand, the new manufacturers are not afraid to suffer what Honda had to go through and, on the other, it is profitable. invest in a technology that can be fully transferred to street cars (something that did not happen with the MGU-H).
“You cannot enter Formula 1 unless a technological window is opened, which means a change of rules: that everyone starts from scratch again”stated the former CEO of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess a few months ago.
“As Markus Duesman (Chairman of Audi and former head of powertrains at BMW F1) always tells me, you usually get a second back a season on a race track just by optimizing the details.”
“But you can’t catch up if you create a new team: you need five or ten years to be among the top. In other words, you can only get on board if you have a major rule change.”Diess acknowledged.
synthetic fuels
Another incentive for Audi and Porsche are synthetic fuels, a type of fuel for which the Stuttgart brand is especially committed and which represents a viable alternative to full electrificationas well as a way to extend the life of combustion engines.
Formula 1 can and must become the perfect laboratory for the development of a technology that aims to keep thermal engines alive in Europe beyond 2035.
Precisely, F1 has become the spearhead of the development of more efficient engines, reaching record figures of more than 50%. Now, the goal is to replicate that with sustainable net zero emissions fuels.
All this and the above create, in essence, an ecosystem that, now, it is ideal for the promotion of brands that want to show themselves at the forefront of green technologyeither with state-of-the-art hybrid mechanics and maximum performance, or with alternative fuels that respect the environment.
Not only that, but Liberty Media has managed to completely transform the perception of Formula 1, now successful in a historically impenetrable market like the United States and increasingly popular among young people thanks to its social media policy and its prominence on Netflix.
“If you look at the major sporting events or events in the world, it is the case that in motorsport it is really only Formula 1 that counts and it is becoming more and more differentiated,” said Diess. «If you practice motor sports, you should participate in Formula 1, since that is where the impact is greater».
Furthermore, Diess argued at the time that “Porsche has to be the sportiest car brand in the world, so it has to do motorsport. And you come to the conclusion: if Porsche does motorsport, the most efficient thing is to do Formula 1 ».
For its part, “Audi is a brand that cannot demand such a high price premium. In fact, Audi has a better argument for Formula 1 because it has much greater potential for the brand. It is moving towards the higher segments, towards competition with Daimler,” explained Diess.
“Our premium brands say that this is the most important lever to increase their value and to be able to get a little more out of the cars in terms of prices. And also to show the competition that you have superior technology, in the case of Audi»he reiterated.
“That is why the Management Board and the Supervisory Board have voted in favor of this. Audi still has to decide in which constellation and with which team. But both have started to develop engines.”ends Diess.
Now all that remains is to make it official. Porsche to become partner of Red Bull Racing, while Audi has yet to finalize an agreement with another existing team, surely Sauber (current manager of Alfa Romeo Racing). And, from that moment, the new era of Formula 1 will begin to take shape.