Hamilton backs prospect of V10 return to F1

Mar.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has added yet another prominent voice to the exciting prospect of the return to Formula 1 of screaming V10s.

While F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Christian Horner all sound enthused, Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur have suggested the sport should be more focused on the preceding step – the move to even more electrified hybrid power units for 2026 and beyond.

“We risk drowning out the message that we want to send to the world if, a year before the new regulations, we talk about something that will come much later,” Mercedes boss and co-owner Wolff said.

Lewis Hamilton, however, thinks moving from the heavy and more modest-sounding ‘power units’ of today back to F1’s naturally-aspirated past would be a good move.

At Ferrari’s street event in Milan, the seven time world champion – whose first McLaren in 2007 was powered by a 2.4 litre V8 – was asked what his hope for the future of F1 is.

“I hope that in 20 years we’ll have great races and we’ll have cars that sound good,” said the Briton.

“I certainly hope it’s not completely electric, but sustainable with V10 or V12 engines, with a zero carbon footprint or something like that,” Hamilton, 40, added.