Max Verstappen's love for V10 engines is clear, but F1's future leaves no room for nostalgia

There’s nothing quite like the scream of a V10 engine. For longtime Formula 1 fans, it’s the sound of the sport at its rawest—pure, untamed horsepower echoing through the grandstands. Even Max Verstappen , one of the most dominant drivers of this era, has admitted he’d love to see those engines return. Asked in China if high-revving power units would make him stick around in F1 longer, he didn’t hesitate: “Maybe, yeah. It’s definitely more exciting than what we have currently.”

But here’s the problem—no matter how much nostalgia surrounds the V10s, the odds of them making a comeback are about as likely as F1 bringing back refueling or grooved tires. The sport isn’t heading in that direction. If anything, it’s moving further away.

The harsh truth about F1’s V10 engine future
In 2026, F1 is introducing an entirely new engine formula—one that leans even more on electrical power while sticking with a V6 internal combustion engine. The plan is to run these engines on fully sustainable fuels, a shift that’s not just about F1’s image but also about keeping manufacturers invested.

The last F1 car to use a V10 engine - who else misses THAT sound? 🙋‍♂️

🎥Via: 19Bozzy92 pic.twitter.com/Itr1w818Fy

— DRIVETRIBE (@DRIVETRIBE) February 8, 2020

Could sustainable fuels open the door for V10s to return? Technically, yes. In fact, major fuel companies like Aramco, ExxonMobil, and Shell are throwing money at research to make clean-burning synthetic fuel a reality. But the real question isn’t whether it’s possible—it’s whether it makes sense.

The auto industry has moved on from big, high-revving engines . Manufacturers want technology they can apply to road cars, and that means hybrids, electric power, and efficiency—not screaming 19,000 rpm V10s. That’s why F1 committed billions of dollars to developing the 2026 hybrid regulations. And once you’ve sunk that much money into a project, you don’t just scrap it after a few years to chase nostalgia.

The cost of change—and why it won’t happen
Building the 2026 hybrid engines has already cost engine suppliers around $1 billion. That means the current plan isn’t just a short-term experiment—it’s locked in for years. The earliest F1 could even consider an engine revamp would be 2030, and by then, the sport will likely be even deeper into hybridization, not reversing course.

Even if F1 did entertain a change, it wouldn’t be a straight swap back to V10s. The more realistic option would be refining the current hybrid system—possibly giving more weight to the combustion engine but keeping electrical power as a major component. That’s just the way the industry is heading.

Also Read: Mick Schumacher eyes F1 comeback with Cadillac’s 2026 entry

Verstappen may dream about the old-school V10 days, and plenty of fans do too. But F1 isn’t driven by nostalgia—it’s driven by technology, money, and the demands of the auto industry. No matter how much we’d all love to hear that high-pitched scream fill the air again, the V10 era is gone. And if we’re being honest, it’s probably never coming back.