The head of Audi in F1 stated that the German brand wants future engines to remain "highly efficient" and maintain turbocharging. The FIA is already working on regulations for 2031 with the aim of simplifying power units.
Mattia Binotto, head of Audi in Formula 1, has stated that the German brand wants the category's future engines to remain "highly efficient" and maintain turbocharging, amid conversations about the new power unit regulations for 2031: "Audi has always supported the importance of efficiency, the technology that enables highly efficient engines is the same that is then applied to road cars. When we talk about efficiency we talk about fuel consumption, emissions and technology transfer between motorsport and series production" declared Binotto exclusively to Motorsport.
Formula 1 and the FIA have already begun outlining plans for future power unit regulations and there is broad consensus among the six manufacturers on the principle of moving to cheaper and simpler V8 engines with a smaller electrical component, running on advanced sustainable fuels. Audi insists that turbocharging remain part of the new formula as it uses it in a wide range of its road cars and the V8 biturbo engine of the Audi Nuvolari concept car is a clue to its vision for the future.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is interested in bringing the new power unit rules forward a year to 2030 and has raised the idea of offering a white label third party power unit to independent teams to end concerns about team independence. A ready to use Cosworth style option would give F1 and the FIA more leverage when dealing with the whims of the automotive industry.
Binotto trusts that the FIA can find a solution that is not just a compromise: "I think the FIA as the regulatory body, is rightly called upon to lead this discussion. Formula 1 needs the manufacturers just as the manufacturers need Formula 1, in the end as has always been the case we will have to find a solution that is not simply a compromise, but the best possible one for everyone" said the Audi boss.
The real challenge according to Binotto will be understanding how to design a Formula 1 engine that remains highly efficient but at the same time is less complex, lighter and more accessible. The FIA could decide unilaterally to impose the new power unit formula but would risk alienating the manufacturers it has tried to attract in recent years, so it will likely seek broader consensus.
The future of Formula 1 engines is debated between tradition and innovation. Audi defends efficiency and turbocharging as pillars of the next generation, while the FIA seeks to simplify the rules. Consensus among manufacturers will be key to designing competitive, sustainable and accessible power units from 2031 onward.
