Since 2014, Formula One cars have been powered by ultra-efficient V6 turbo hybrid engines.
F1 Fans have had plenty of time to get accustomed to these much quieter engines, but many still believe that the sport should return to using naturally aspirated V8s or V10s, as they produce a much louder and racier symphony.
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Bernie Ecclestone, the former CEO of Formula One, recently expressed his support for such calls and urged the sport to ditch the “silly” hybrid power units.
“I’ll be in trouble for this, but let’s dig out all the old normally aspirated engines,” Ecclestone said in a recent interview.
“Everybody’s got them, the costs go right down, the noise will be back, and we can use them for five years while we sort out an engine for the future.”
Aside from being more eco-friendly, the main reason the V8s were ditched in favour of the V6 turbo hybrids is because they provide more scope for F1 to be relevant to the automotive industry and allow for technology to be transferred across.
However, Ecclestone insisted that Formula One should focus on being “entertainment” instead of trying to attract car-makers into the sport.
“Formula 1 doesn’t have to be relevant to the car industry. People forget, Formula 1 is in the entertainment business and when you stop entertaining you haven’t got a business.
“Let’s get rid of these bloody silly engines they have now. The people in the grandstands aren’t interested in how super-efficient they are, how much fuel they use, how powerful they are.
“Max Mosley said the noise doesn’t matter, but I think it does, always has,” he added.
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