Fans believe there are even bigger issues at hand than the scream of V8 engines returning for F1 to feel totally ‘real’ again.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s recent announcement regarding the return of V8 engines in F1 offered fans some reassurance over the sport’s future amid the polarising 2026 ruleset.

However, to say V8 power units would be returning in the exact same capacity as they were between 2006 and 2013 would be incorrect, with a small onus on electrical power still expected to be present at the time of their debut in 2030.

Of course, with F1’s main ethos meaning that it must always stay on the precipice of cutting-edge automotive technology, it makes sense for electrical power to remain, but fans would also like to see a swathe of other changes happen ahead of 2030, too.

F1 fans give their list of changes needed on top of V8 engines for F1 to feel ‘real’ again

After the announcement was made by Ben Sulayem, F1 Oversteer asked users on TalkingPoints for their thoughts on the matter, with one fan highlighting their pessimism over the new engine formula truly bringing the sport back into its golden era:

Another labelled it a “good start”, but asserted that it may still not feel the same as it did without F1’s earlier Fleetwood Mac-inspired theme tune and Murray Walker’s iconic voice on commentary:

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) shared similar sentiments, with some pointing towards the size of each F1 car as the next thing that needs to be addressed by the sport’s top brass.

One fan wrote, “Four feet shorter wheelbase should be implemented too! Remove some of the aero ‘downfarce’, lets have mechanical grip bias!”

Another agreed, noting that the usually processional Monaco Grand Prix could become more of a spectacle if the cars were small enough for drivers to produce an overtake or two.

They commented: “Keep shrinking the cars. Make Monaco watchable again.”

Akin to TalkingPoints user ‘pecco’, another couple of fans also shared their melancholy reaction to the news, and are fully expecting the V8 formula to be hindered in one way or another through the use of electrical energy.

One fan said: “Yeah, V8 with some garbage electrical system attached to it and fake passing buttons,” before adding: “Bring back refuelling! Bring back qualifying tyres that last one lap!”

A separate fan echoed these sentiments, outlining that a naturally aspirated V8 is the correct route to go down instead of the turbocharged variant that is likely to be agreed upon, commenting: “A lot of people don’t understand. We want naturally aspirated V8s, not turbo v8s.”

The reasoning behind going in the direction of turbocharged engines boils down to F1’s presence at street circuits across the globe, which hold some of the sport’s most lucrative hosting deals.

A naturally aspirated V8 would reach noise levels that would cause a problem at venues such as Melbourne, Singapore, Baku, and a multitude of others due to the noise-emission restrictions that are in place. As such, it simpy isn’t feasible.