F1's 2030 V8 plan would cut electric power from 350kW to 100kW
Formula 1 is examining a return to 3.0-litre turbocharged V8 engines from 2030. The most striking number in the emerging plan is electric output: down from 350kW under the current 2026 rules to around 100kW. The details surfaced around the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, and while nothing is finalised between the FIA and the power unit manufacturers, the direction is clear — less hybrid dependence, more engine.
A 3.0-litre V8, but the turbo stays
The backbone of the reported plan is a 3.0-litre V8. If it happens, it would mark the first eight-cylinder engine in F1 since 2013. It would not, however, be naturally aspirated — the turbocharger stays. The reason cited is noise regulation: a naturally aspirated V8 would be considerably louder, and could run into strict noise limits at street circuits. RacingNews365 named Melbourne, Miami and Singapore as examples, while Speedcafe named Melbourne, Singapore and Las Vegas — the two outlets differ on the exact cities, but agree that street-circuit noise limits are the core reason the turbo survives.
Electric power falls from 350kW to 100kW
The biggest single number change is electrical. Current 2026 rules put electric motor output at 350kW; the 2030 proposal under discussion would cut that to around 100kW. Hybrid technology remains, but its role would shrink sharply, putting the internal combustion engine back at the centre of performance. Both outlets also reported that, instead of reviving the current DRS, F1 is looking at an IndyCar-style 'push-to-pass' system that would let drivers use a temporary power boost under defined conditions.
Not yet a final agreement
This is still a proposal, not a locked-in regulation. Detailed negotiations between the FIA and the power unit manufacturers continue, and any new rules need a 'super majority' of at least four of the six power unit manufacturers to sign off. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has publicly backed the direction of a V8 return, but specific figures such as displacement and electric output are not yet locked in. Even so, 2030 has emerged as the preferred timeline, alongside discussion of ending the current technical cycle a year early to make way for it.