Wednesday brought important news for the future of Formula 1 and also for the next phase of the season. Ferrari could take to Monza a new power unit with an estimated gain of 15 hp, while Stefano Domenicali admitted that the possibility of V8 engines returning to the category from 2030 is “quite substantial.”
In Maranello, the units destined for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have already been mounted, but still need endurance tests before final clearance for the Italian Grand Prix. The new engine, identified as 067/6, was developed within the ADUO system and will also feature changes to the turbos, the combustion chamber and the recharge of the hybrid system. The decision on its Monza debut is expected to be made by the end of the week.
The discussion about engines also progressed with the next technical cycle in mind. Domenicali stated that the chance of bringing back the V8 is significant and revealed support for the proposal championed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, which envisions powertrains associated with sustainable fuels. “I think it is quite substantial. The FIA president really wants this and we support him in that sense,” said the F1 CEO, noting that details still need to be defined.
At Red Bull, Max Verstappen already knows who is being groomed to replace Gianpiero Lambiase as his race engineer. Tom Hart will stay with the team and is expected to progressively take over the role, initially working in a few sessions while Lambiase remains responsible for the rest of the duties. Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull at the end of the year to join McLaren after serving the mandatory cooling-off period.
The driver market for 2027 also saw developments. According to GPblog, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are the favorites to remain with Red Bull Racing, although Nikola Tsolov is also in contention. The Formula 2 leader will undertake his first test with an F1 car this week in Imola, but the most likely path currently is to take on a testing and reserve role next year.
Off the track, the calendar uncertainty turned into one of the day’s big topics. Teams want an answer from the FIA and FOM by the end of September regarding whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs will be staged, threatened by the situation in the Middle East. The teams have already booked hotels in the Imola region for the first weekend of December, while the Italian circuit appears as an alternative should one of the final rounds need to be replaced.
Uncertainties also reach 2027. China emerged as the main alternative to open the next season if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia again cannot host the category. The preferred plan remains to start in the Middle East, but F1 is working with different combinations involving China, Japan and Australia to preserve the aim of a full 24-race calendar.
