On one side lies the racetrack, on the other the automotive world. The engine set to power Formula 1 cars from 2031 will have to find a balance between these two aspects. Some are calling for a power unit conceived purely for racing and entertainment, while others are investing hundreds of millions of euros in technologies that must retain, even minimally, a connection to mass‑production road cars.
On one side stands FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, determined to steer Formula 1 back toward an engine philosophy built primarily around the needs of motorsport: a naturally aspirated V8 with a small KERS. On the other side stand those who design and build the engines, the six manufacturers shaping the future of the category: Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Red Bull-Ford Powertrains, Honda and Cadillac.
