Though it has not been widely popular with the fans, those teams not using Mercedes engines or Bernie Ecclestone, who has detested it from the outset, the current 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid could be here to stay.
An agreement between the teams and Commercial Rights Holder means the current formula is in place until 2020, after which the sport may choose to move further into hybrid technology or back towards the previous V10 and V8 eras.
Speaking in Germany, a number of technical directors admitted that the time is fast approaching when thoughts must turn to 2020.
"It is time we started to talk about the engine beyond this one," admitted Paddy Lowe. "It does raise some very big considerations, such as how do we define an engine or power unit that is correct for the sport but also relevant to the kind of power units that we will see in the future in road cars?
"Do we remain in some way related to that technology which is increasingly electrical or do we go our own way? There are some very, very important questions."
"What we have learned from this cycle and this era of hybrid engines is that the power units now are very, very complicated and it needs a lot of planning," added Ferrari's Jock Clear. "I think we'll go into those next negotiations with eyes wide open this time, I don't think there's anybody who didn't fall into the category of underestimating what might have been involved, and as such, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll be aware and the sooner we can come to a solution that will be the best for the sport."
"It's got to be affordable hasn't it?" said Pat Fry, seemingly the voice of reason. "The costs have snowballed since the normally aspirated engines. It does need bringing back under control to some degree, doesn't it?"
Force India CEO, Otmar Szafnauer, was in no doubt whatsoever when he was asked what kind of engine he was looking for beyond 2020. "A cheap one!" he replied. "A clean sheet of paper, it's got to be affordable."
Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost agrees, indeed, the Austrian believes the sport would be best served by sticking with what it already has.
"It's not necessary to come up in 2020 with a another completely new regulation because we have a fantastic power unit," he told Autosport.
"We have a turbocharged engine, a very small one, and we have two energy recovery systems and a battery system which is the technology for the future," he continued. "We shouldn't make big changes but what we should do is maybe start to freeze the output of the power unit to a certain level and come down with the costs.
"This package we can easily go with until 2025 and this will maybe also attract some other manufacturers to come into Formula 1.
"I hope they don't come up with a completely new regulation because this will once more force the manufacturers and teams to invest a lot of money from 2021 onwards which is not necessary," he admitted.
"To discuss it soon is important but we should not forget we come with a completely new car next year," he continued. "We should see how F1 will look with this new chassis and how the speeds are. Then in 2017, once we know what is going on we should sit together."
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