F1 needs to get turbo hybrid future right

The future rules, which will include a commitment to sustainable fuels, have yet to be ratified and published.

At Silverstone last weekend, Vettel did a demonstration run in his Williams FW14B having arranged to run it on a supply of sustainable fuel that he had acquired.

PLUS: The inconvenient questions posed by Vettel’s Williams run

The success of his run inevitably led to suggestions that F1 could have taken a different route with a V10 engine.

“Look, our engines are incredible,” said Vettel when asked if he would have preferred that option. “They are powerful, they are incredibly efficient.

“Probably the most efficient engine, I don’t know of all the engines in the world, but maybe one of the most efficient engines.

“But will you ever drive that engine in the car that you choose to buy one day, or you have bought in the past? No.

“I paid for that fuel I was using €5.95 per litre. Which is more expensive than normal fuel, significantly, but you mustn’t forget that the machinery of normal fuels, and what I bought, is very different.

“So there is plenty of scope to come down on price, and so on. And equally, the other side will continue to go up mid-term, long-term, it will only go up.”

Vettel suggested that future F1 fuel and power units should be more relevant to the road.

“The fuel that we are running in F1 is four or five times at least more expensive than what I used last week. So money isn’t the issue here.

“I think why are these fuels so expensive? Because you develop the engine together with the fuel to squeeze out more performance, to outperform the other guys, so the competition can be great, and it has to be channelled in the right manner.

“Or it can, I don’t want to say get out of hand, but it can be uncontrolled, and maybe run in a way that our engines are now so complex that you will never benefit from those on the road.

“So I think that’s where it needs strong guidance and governance in terms of ‘Okay, this is what we set out to do for the right reasons.’

“And the right reasons again, coming back to the budget, are very clear and simple.

“So we need to find a way to do it. And being a motorsport guy, I love racing. I love the cars. I love to have the sensation for the V10.

“For the history going forwards, I don’t know that’s a separate another discussion to have, what is the better way?

“What is the cheaper way as well? Because these engines…