George Russell names wish list for next F1 regulations including V8 engine
Mercedes driver George Russell in a press conference at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix
George Russell has said what would be on his wishlist for the next regulation change in F1 including V8 engines and a lighter car.
F1 is only four races into the all-new 2026 regulations, such has been the reaction to the current rules that some are already looking ahead to the next era.
George Russell names hopes for next F1 regulations
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The current rules are set to be in place for the next five seasons and while there have already been some minor changes, what the next generation of regulations could look like.
One of those is the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem who said a return to V8 engines may even come in 2030.
It has the sport debating what comes next.
That question was put to George Russell, who suggested V8 engines and lighter cars should be the priority.
“Obviously there’s a lot to talk about,” said Russell, who will turn 33 in the next regulation cycle. “Going back to V8, I think that would obviously be pretty cool.
“The sustainable fuel topic is a fantastic one, and I think would be great for Formula One.
“Lighter cars. I think we need to find ways to reduce the cars even more, because I think the weight of cars even more, because I think that has been a positive impact in terms of the racing and the drivability, being able to fight close with one another, but still keep in a way that we can have these overtakes.
“Because if you look at the glory days of Formula 1 20 years ago, where everyone says they were the best cars ever, and I still agree they were probably the coolest cars we ever saw at Formula 1, in the early 2000s there was no overtaking at all.
“So that’s something we need to remember, and we need to think about for the next step.”
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In the meantime, Russell is unlikely to have a better chance in his career at a title than this season given Mercedes’ early dominance but has lost the momentum to team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell though, was putting championship thoughts out of his mind and focusing on the next race.
“Clearly, he’s in a really great place at the moment and momentum is with him,” Russell said of Antonelli, “but I’ve experienced myself in championships I’ve won on how momentum swings throughout the year.
“Also, looking at the championship last year, to be honest, I’m not even considering it. It’s just I want to get back onto the top step at the podium.
“The first three races, I had the performance to do that. This weekend, I did not have the performance to do that. So I could be standing here now with three very different results from the previous races, and then this just being a bit of a one-off. But obviously, things worked out differently in Japan and China.”
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