FIA summon Ferrari and Mercedes ahead of Bahrain GP

A meeting involving all four current engine manufacturers on the Formula 1 grid has been revealed for the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, which includes Ferrari and Mercedes.

The FIA have called Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda and Renault for discussions about the potential to use V10 engines running on sustainable fuels in the future, just a year before power unit regulations taking a completely different direction are set to roll into the sport.

Autosport have revealed that the meeting has been confirmed, and although the exact agenda is not known, it is understood that the FIA are wanting to garner opinion on a potential move put forward by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Ben Sulayem hinted during an interview recently that a switch to sustainable fuel-powered V10s could be a possibility, while FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has not ruled it out.

However Audi, who are due to enter the sport as an engine manufacturer in 2026, have already stated that one of their main reasons for joining the sport was because of the 2026 regulation changes.

From next season onwards, the hybrid era will continue, but this time with a much stronger emphasis on electrical power, going up from 120kW to 350kW.

Will V10s replace current F1 engines?

The new rules entering the sport in 2026 are currently set to last until at least the end of the 2030 season, but talk of the V10s has been led around the 2031 season - or even before, potentially changing those plans.

V10 engines have not been used in the sport since 2005, and some fans have bemoaned the loss of the iconic roar made by those engines in recent years.

While the new V10 proposals would run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels to go hand-in-hand with F1's aim of carbon neutrality by 2030, there are concerns from Audi over the stark difference from the technology they are currently building for 2026.

Ford are another manufacturer that are joining in 2026, entering into a partnership with Red Bull Powertrains as the Milton Keynes outfit end their Honda partnership, while General Motors will join in 2028, powering the new Cadillac team who will officially become the grid's 11th team next year.

The meeting of the current power unit suppliers in Bahrain is in response to an apparent growth in popularity among the paddock for a return to V10s, with a decision looming over the future of the sport's engines.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in F1 promotion after Japanese Grand Prix

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