Since he retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season, Sebastian Vettel has been a big champion of green causes and reducing carbon emissions.
It is a big pivot from being a Grand Prix car driver who travels around the world in aeroplanes, but the German felt there was a responsibility to set an example.
F1 currently uses hybrid engines, and that is set to improve for the 2026 season, with the introduction of cars that utilise more of the electrical element to generate power.
However, F1 drivers have expressed ‘worrying’ concerns over whether this will impact the racing too much, having driven early versions of them in their simulators.
Even with the new regulations set to be introduced next year, talks emerged earlier this year about a potential return to V10 engines. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem made the controversial proposal to bring back V10 engines in China, which raised eyebrows in the paddock.
When asked about the proposal to switch to V10 engines in an interview with AMuS, Vettel gave his support for the idea as long as it uses the right solution.
Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty ImagesSebastian Vettel backs return to V10 engines in Formula 1
A return to V10 engines would likely involve the increased use of drop-in biofuels, which effectively act as a substitute for normal fuels that contribute to emissions.
F1 has not used V10 engines since 2007 when Toro Rosso last ran one, while non-hybrid and naturally aspirated engines have not been on the grid since 2013. Vettel backs a return to V10s because of the improvement it could bring to the show at a time when F1 is booming in popularity.
“I was able to experience how a V10 feels and sounds. And that’s part of this show and the F1 experience. In the past, people didn’t just go to the racetrack to see who won. You also wanted to breathe in all the fascination around it,” said Vettel.
“I do believe that a generation is growing up for which the V10 sound is no longer as important as it is for us, but which could still be enthusiastic about it. The question is whether the engine formula must be series-relevant. I don’t think so.”
READ MORE: Everything we know about F1’s 2026 regulation changes from engines to tyres
Sebastian Vettel wants F1 to consider show over road relevance
F1 has been reluctant to revert to the older engine specification due to concerns over road relevance. Part of the reason for introducing the 2026 F1 regulations was to entice more manufacturers, which is what led Audi and Cadillac to join, as well as Ford as a technical partner to Red Bull.
Vettel thinks there should be a more concerted effort to consider the show aspect, rather than solely what the manufacturers think is the right direction.
“It will go away from this transfer [to road cars] and more towards entertainment. You should stick to what you know, but it has to be done better in the interests of the environment.
“The shoes I buy must be made in such a way that it does not harm the environment and the production meets fair working conditions. The same applies to cars and motorsport events. It would be a shame if the motorsport we know ceased to exist.”
While everyone is committed to running the 2026 engines, there is scope for an alternative engine formula to be introduced as early as the 2029 season.