Will F1 go back to the future with its engines?

In general, the manufacturers seem not opposed to the idea of changing the engines, nor to the principle of switching to a V8. This is important, because Ben Sulayem was outflanked by the manufacturers when he last tried switching to a naturally aspirated engine, a V10, a little over a year ago. There is also general agreement on the need to reduce costs after the expense of developing the latest engines. But there is no agreement on exactly what the architecture of the engine will look like. Mercedes have said they are "open" to discussions, and their F1 boss Toto Wolff said in Miami that they "loved V8s". But Wolff also added: "How do we give it enough energy from the battery side to not lose connection to the real world? Because if we swing 100% combustion, we might be looking a bit ridiculous in 2031 or 2030. So we need to consider that, make it simpler and make it a better engine." Honda told BBC Sport in a statement a return to V8s "is something we should discuss healthily, the FIA and the stakeholders, while ensuring that it is for the benefit of the fans". In his Car and Driver interview, Ben Sulayem mentioned an engine with a capacity of between 2.6 and three litres, with 10% of its total power provided by the electrical elements. Some insiders say that in reality he would prefer 5% or even zero electricity, but knows that won't fly. …