New engine regulations in Formula 1 are scheduled for 2025, but moves to use biofuel in the sport mean that the new engine regulations could be postponed for a further 12 months.
GrandPrix.com reports that top car manufacturer officials, including Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and also the CEOs of Audi and Porsche, met in Austria to discuss the new rules that are scheduled to debut in 2025.
Formula 1 officials described the talks as positive and productive and said that further information from the meeting will be forthcoming in due time.
However, ahead of the meeting, Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner said the best way to create ‘a truly efficient, environmentally friendly, biofuel-powered engine from scratch’ that is also cost-effective would be to delay until 2026, and surprisingly, rivals Mercedes have agreed on the issue.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Perhaps we can find a compromise and extend the current regulations for another year.
“Everyone wants to be 100 per cent ready for the transition to the new regulations, but perhaps that is 2026. Formula 1 really needs to lead by example and meet the standards.”
He added that he doesn’t know what the solution will be, but an engine is needed that is in the area of electrification, and the development costs need to be lower than they currently are.
Wolff said another key feature of the new engine will be biofuels.
“Unfortunately, e-fuels are 10 years late to Formula 1, which is very negative,” former Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug told European outlet Auto Bild.
“What is extremely positive, however, is that you can still feed the engines of tomorrow and get a sound from yesterday.”
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