While admitting that the 2025 power unit will feature a much increased electric component, Toto Wolff explains why the sport is determined to stick with the internal combustion engine.

Following a meeting of the current engine manufacturers, together with Red Bull, Porsche and Audi on Saturday, F1 and the FIA issued a brief joint-statement.

"Very positive discussions took place today with all of the current and potential new power unit suppliers regarding the next phase of the Formula 1 power unit," it read.

"The discussions will continue over the coming weeks with further news to be announced following those discussions."

Speaking on the grid before Sunday's race, Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the discussions had the seen the parties take a "step forward".

While few were willing to say little more, Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff subsequently admitted that the 2025 power unit is likely to feature more an increased electric component.

"The discussion was 'what are we doing in the future in terms of engine'," he said, according to Motorsport.com, "because we want to save costs, but we don't want to reinvent the wheel.

"We also want to have an engine that is relevant from 2025 to 2030," he added, "and we can't be old petrol heads with screaming engines when everybody expects us to be going electric.

"So these engines are still going to be fuelled. We are staying with the current V6 format, but the electric component is going to massively increase."

This surely puts the sport, which boasts its green credentials at the drop of a hat, at odds with the general green consensus, for as more cities prepare to ban the internal combustion engine, F1 intends to stick with it for a little longer... albeit with sustainable fuels.

"Why we are staying with the internal combustion engine is that we believe that the fuel is going to be with us for a long time," explained Wolff.

"In Europe we may have the ambitious targets of having electrical mobility as part of our daily life by 2030, and I can see at Mercedes how ambitious the targets are, but in the rest of the world, we will have millions of vehicles that would still run on fuel.

"For Mercedes cars itself we believe that we will have several million vehicles in the world that will still run on fuels. So, what we can contribute with our innovation is to help them to develop sustainable fuels: be it biofuels or synthetic fuels.

"Our cars will run on 100 percent sustainable fuels by 2025, and this is how we will contribute to the reduction to the world's CO2 emissions."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 09/07/2021 14:06

"@ Pawsche....I fully support your proposal. Do me a favor and call Domenicali and tell him what we want ASAP. "

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2. Posted by kenji, 09/07/2021 14:04

"@ Ed. Yes, I know exactly how you felt. I too have experienced flashbacks to the days when we were assailed by sounds that were thrilling and unforgettable. As the ranks of the 'more mature' afficionados are thinning it is something that the current body of followers do not really have any experience of or desire for....which is quite sad. Hard to miss what you've never had. Nostalgia is an emotion rarely mentioned these days as the quest for new digital experiences ranks number one over and above sheer aural delight. Oh,what a pity...."

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3. Posted by Pawsche, 08/07/2021 11:10

"They're going to use 'sustainable fuel' anyway, so why not go back to 'proper' engines that shove out loads of power and make a glorious noise? Forget all the electrical nonsense that appears to cost a fortune and give the fans a proper show!"

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4. Posted by Editor, 08/07/2021 10:57

"@ Kenji

"Pathetic" doesn't begin to cover it.

Just recalling the sounds of the seventies as I wrote the Carlos Reuteman obituary made me dewy eyed."

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5. Posted by kenji, 08/07/2021 1:00

"@ elsiebc...yes, you are right. It's a pathetic attempt by Sky to try and fool the audience into believing that these cars sound better than they actually do. No doubt following instructions from Liberty, after all they are a media corporation. The true sound of what was a real F1 car cannot be emulated by these audio emasculated PU's despite their fearsome performance. Those sounds are gone forever but thankfully live on in the memory bank!!!"

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6. Posted by elsiebc, 07/07/2021 17:53

"Already when Sky has one of their "Audio Up" (is that what they call it?) segments I fast forward. Maybe it sounds good to someone who has never heard a real engine."

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7. Posted by Tardis40, 07/07/2021 1:45

"You've been taking steps backwards since the demise of the 3 liter v10."

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8. Posted by kenji, 07/07/2021 0:34

"I would prefer to see the use of 'hydrogen enriched fuel' than the further electrification of the series. That's the short straw to FE and that's a nono in my playbook. Bigger batteries will up the size of these grossly overbloated racing machines still more."

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9. Posted by Superbird70, 06/07/2021 22:11

"The only way this doesn't turn into FE is if they migrate the sustainable fuel to hydrogen ."

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2025 engines will see electric component increase "massively"

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