Why Formula 1 Should Go To 3-Cylinder Engines In 2026

Photo by Todd Jiang on Unsplash

Now I know this is a polarizing topic, you either have the people cheering for a lawn mower engine or you have the people that want to see the return of V10 engines in Formula 1. While I certainly think there is a certain appeal to larger displacement engines within Formula 1, I believe that the only way Formula 1 could remain a sustainable sport (Both economically but also environmentally) is through the introduction of a smaller engine size. So let’s talk about why I think Formula 1 should make the drastic shift towards 3-Cylinder engines!

Weight

One of the biggest problems of the V6 Turbo Hybrid Era (2014-Present) has been the fact that these cars have gotten ridiculously heavy over the years! Not only are they putting an engine into the cars but they’re also coupling multiple regenerative systems (Primarily through brakes/coasting) but they’re also storing all of that energy inside of a battery! Let’s not forget about all the increased safety features and standards that have been introduced over the years (No complaints here!), it’s surprising to see these gluttonous single seaters go blazing through these circuits at all! That being said, with the introduction of a 3-cylinder engine we could start to see some of that weight being trimmed back a little bit, considering we’re fundamentally cutting the engines in half (I…