Formula 1’s ruling body, the FIA, on Wednesday approved General Motors as a power unit supplier starting in 2029, a year later than it was originally planned by the American manufacturer.
While the extra year will give more time to GM to prepare better for the challenge of joining the grid, the delay is potentially significant because of what it could mean for the future of F1 engines as a whole.
The series will enter a new rules era in 2026 in which engines will be considerably different from the current power units.
Next year’s engines will deliver approximately a 50/50 split between internal combustion power and electrical power, which is a substantial increase in the contribution from the battery and electric motor compared to the current units.
The new engine approach will also have a strong environmental focus with the use of sustainable fuels.
However, teams and engine manufacturers have been long concerned that the 50/50 split could result in cars running out of electrical energy on long straights.
Representatives from engine manufacturers, as well as FIA officials, met during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend to discuss the engine formula amid rumours that the new engine formula might not last until 2030 as originally planned.
There are still fears that the 2026 field could have huge gaps between cars
The FIA said the meeting had been “constructive” and that all parties were committed to the 2026 engine regulations, but it did admit that a return to normally-aspirated engines with sustainable fuel was also discussed.
Wednesday’s announcement by the FIA about General Motors was particularly significant because it suggests the American giant was not willing to commit to building an engine only for 2028 should the regulations change again the following year.
In that context, GM’s decision to push back its entry for a year makes a lot of sense, as it will not only give it a full year of development but will also prevent it from spending a lot of money to produce a power unit whose concept would only be valid for a year.
In the meantime, GM’s Cadillac team, which will join F1 as the 11th squad next year, will use Ferrari engines.
2026 concerns
Recently, it was FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem who suggested that F1 should consider a return to V10 engines in the future.
“We should consider a range of directions including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel. Whichever direction is chosen, we must support the teams and manufacturers in ensuring cost control on R&D expenditure,” he said in February.
While the Bahrain meeting appeared to stave off the threat of writing off the 2026 regulations, a move away from hybrid engines is still believed to be on the cards.
“It was a positive discussion,” said Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur in Saudi Arabia last weekend. “If you ask me as a racer, I would love to have a V12 in the car for the noise and the sound and so on.
“Now, we have a regulation in place for 2026. We started to speak about 2026, and we said, ‘OK, calm down’. And now we are speaking about 2031. In two minutes the next question will be about 2040! But we have to take it seriously. We’ve opened the discussion.
Friday's summit in Bahrain between the FIA, teams and manufacturers may have been dressed up as a gathering to discuss the idea of a return to V10 engines. But make no mistake: they're crunch talks as the 2026 rules continue to create problems, says Mark Hughes
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Mark Hughes
“I think it’s also probably the first time that we start to speak so early about the next generation, and this is good because we need to know what the others are thinking about it, that we have different approaches. But let’s be open.”
Although no technical details from the meeting were revealed, the FIA said that “minor refinements” to the 2026 rules would be made amid concerns about the performance gap between some of the engines.
With the uncertainty about how each engine will perform next year, and the possibility that the rules might need further tweaking even after the cars hit the track, GM’s decision seems even more justified, as it will want to have a more stable situation before fully committing to its engine project.
Vasseur said there is no way to predict where each manufacturer stands, but admitted the pecking order could be completely different if one engine supplier gets its interpretation of the rules right.
“Honestly, I think it’s impossible to have a precise idea about the performance level of next year’s cars and on the engine,” he said. “We are not in a situation where we’re just speaking about the ICE.
“Drivability will be key. Temperature will be key. The ICE will be key. The battery will be key. And I’m not sure that anyone knows what the others are doing.
“You can be king of the place in 2025 – but the most important is 2026.”
