Wolff Joins Call To Cool V10 Engine Buzz

Toto Wolff has aligned with Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur to temper rising chatter about a V10 engine comeback in Formula 1.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently fueled talk of loud, naturally-aspirated engines, boosted by the sport’s shift to 100 percent sustainable fuel. Red Bull’s Christian Horner’s on board: “The pure racing fan in me would love to see a return to V10 engines, if it were done responsibly and with sustainable fuel,” he said.

Vasseur hit the brakes, though. “We have not yet introduced the next generation of engines and there are still some huge issues on the table in this regard. We should focus on that first,” the Ferrari boss said, eyeing 2026’s hybrid-heavy power units over 2030 or 2031 speculation.

Wolff echoed the call, championing the upcoming rules. “We are pushing the boundaries of battery technology and, in terms of sustainability, this (2026) is the first year that we have 100 percent sustainable fuel,” he said. “Nobody knows what all this will lead to. F1 is a pioneer. All stakeholders should be happy about that and make sure that the sport is seen as the high-tech sport that it should be. At the moment, I think that is a bit premature.”

He warned: “We risk drowning out the message that we want to send to the world if, a year before the new regulations, we talk about something that will come much later.”