Ben Sulayem says F1 V8s return in 2030, with Rwanda to use them first

Formula 1 will return to V8 engines in 2030, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said at a panel in Kigali. He said Rwanda would use the new engine from the first running of its planned African Grand Prix.

The race is planned for a purpose-built circuit in Rwanda in the early 2030s under a 10-year deal. It would bring F1 back to Africa for the first time since 1993.

Ben Sulayem said the cars would be about 80kg lighter and that engine hardware and research-and-development costs would be at least 50% lower.

Under the 2026 rules, combustion and battery power are split roughly 50/50, compared with a roughly 80/20 balance favouring combustion in 2025. Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris have repeatedly spoken out about the kind of recharge mode cars enter when their batteries run out.