The engine debate: Adrian Newey raises eyebrows on F1's new 50/50 engine formula

In the ongoing F1 season, Red Bull Racing’s chief technology officer Adrian Newey has been the centre of attraction among fans and other rival teams due to his creativity with RB20. However, Newey feels that the upcoming seasons of F1 will not be easy as some chassis and engine rules need to perform as per expectations. He also calls the engine rules ‘strange’.

F1 car makers are busy creating their next-gen turbo hybrids. These cars will share power equally between the regular engine and a battery. This setup opens up possibilities for unique features because saving energy will be crucial.

However, Newey mentioned that since the regular engines will also work as generators, they might need to behave oddly. For instance, they might need to run at full power even during tight turns, like the hairpin in Monaco.

Ahead of the decision over final engine rules for 2026 F1, Newey said, “It's certainly going to be a strange formula in as much as the engines will be working flat-chat as generators just about the whole time. So, the prospect of the engine working hard in the middle of Loews hairpin is going to take some getting used to.”

Are Aero rules just a cover-up?

Speaking about the issue, Newey accepts that new aero rules are just a coverup for the engine rule. He also said that only engine manufacturers wanted this kind of 50/50 combination. While speaking to a media house he said, “I think that's a fair comment, and probably one that even the FIA would acknowledge - that only the engine manufacturers wanted this kind of 50/50 combustion engine with electric.

“I guess it is what their marketing people said that we should be doing and I understand that: it's potentially interesting because F1 can be a fast-track developer of technology. The problem potentially on the battery and electric side is the cost currently, certainly of electric motors to F1 standard, plus inverters and batteries. It is very high, but perhaps production techniques in the future will help to bring that down.”

Notably, the FIA plans to decide on the aerodynamic rules for F1 in 2026 by June's end, and they've been focusing on refining certain design aspects recently. However, there's still more to do, especially with the active aerodynamics part. Some teams have found that the new cars are extremely challenging to control at full speed during testing in the simulator, so adjustments are necessary.