FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stated that a return of refuelling in Formula 1 is being discussed, amid an additional, and radical, suggestion to shake up the sport.
Ben Sulayem was in attendance for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and used the weekend to brief select media on his latest thinking for the sport’s direction.
Refuelling has been outlawed in F1 since 2010, having returned in 1994 after an 11-year hiatus, but Ben Sulayem confirmed the FIA is actively examining whether it could return, provided it’s implemented responsibly.
“The refuelling we are studying as we speak,” he told Reuters. “It’s not a concern if you do it in the right way. So we are studying this. Nothing is being done yet.
“Refuelling, with sustainable fuel, with electrification. Maybe we look at giving more electrification than 10 percent. Really, still, we are open.”
An FIA engine to end manufacturer leverage?
The more consequential proposal centres on engines. Ben Sulayem suggested the FIA could supply its own “FIA-selected” power unit to customer teams, removing the ability of works manufacturers to hold sway over the smaller squads running their engines.
Six teams currently rely on customer power units: Mercedes supplies McLaren, Williams and Alpine; Ferrari supplies Haas and Cadillac; and Red Bull’s Ford-badged unit goes into the Racing Bulls. Ben Sulayem stated that a single FIA-backed engine for those teams would strip any manufacturer of the power to pressure a customer over political matters such as voting within the paddock.
“There will be no control over the teams, A-team over the B-team, that’s supplied with their engines,” he said.
“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’.”
Earlier this year, Ben Sulayem raised excitement amongst swathes of the F1 community by suggesting the prospect of a lighter, V8-powered car returning for the next major regulation cycle in 2030 or 2031, targeting a minimum weight around 630kg — down from the current cars, which have crept up due to safety additions.
Whether either idea — refuelling or an FIA engine — gains real traction remains to be seen, but they add to a growing list of structural changes Ben Sulayem has pushed since taking charge of the governing body.
READ MORE – Red Bull responds to Max Verstappen tirade after Silverstone smash
Discussion about this post