A lot of people wish for F1 to return to the noisy, monstrous engines of the past but Todt said that’ll never happen.
He admitted it’d be seen as socially unacceptable to go back to the engines of the past and is sure many manufacturers would ditch F1 if it did.
F1 moved into a new era in 2014, switching from V8 engines to V6 Turbo hybrid power units. The technology is ridiculously impressive but the sound… not so much.
Sure, each manufacturer has a unique tone and the engines sound meaty, but the volume is just not what it used to be.
Many fans and people involved in F1 have openly criticised the engine sound and lack of volume, but Todt has said there’s no going back now. He told the FIA’s Auto magazine:
“It will not be accepted by society. We have a responsibility to run an organisation monitored by global society. And global society will not accept that.
“Indeed, I’m sure if you said, ‘let’s go back to engines from 10 years ago’, many manufacturers would not support such a move. I’m convinced a minimum of three out of four would leave.
“Also, we know that stability is essential – firstly, to have as much competition as possible, and then to protect the investment. You cannot invest in new technology every year, it is not financially sustainable, and we already complain about the cost of racing, the cost of Formula 1 – a cost that for me is absurd.”
He also explained that F1 needs to have stability, not constant rule changes and regulation tweaks:
“We know that stability is essential – firstly, to have as much competition as possible, and then to protect the investment. You cannot invest in new technology every year, it is not financially sustainable, and we already complain about the cost of racing, the cost of Formula 1 – a cost that for me absurd.
“It’s something we need to fight. So far we have not managed to find the ideal solution and I’m happy to take part of the responsibility on behalf of the governing body. But saying that, it is not easy because you need to find common ground.”