Formula 1 team principals are expressing growing concern over the dramatic increase in fuel costs expected with the 2026 power unit regulations, which will see a 50 percent electrical component paired with fully sustainable fuel.
While the current fuel costs teams approximately $30 per litre, an engine manufacturer reportedly disclosed at a recent F1 Commission meeting that the sustainable fuel required for 2026 could cost a staggering $300 per litre—a tenfold increase.
Christian Horner, whose Red Bull team is developing its own power unit with Ford, downplayed the issue, stating, "Personally, for us, it's not a significant issue. Maybe a certain bracket should be introduced going forward," suggesting potential adjustments to the budget cap.
He added, "But fuel is potentially one of the bigger performance differentiators. The fuel companies seem very engaged in that."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shed light on the reasons behind the cost surge, explaining, "It's that the whole supply chain and energy contribution needs to be green. To achieve all of that, you need a certain specification of ingredients that is very expensive—and it's coming in much more expensive than anyone thought.
"So we need to look at whether there's anything we can tweak to bring the per-litre price down."
Mercedes, however, is reportedly optimistic about its competitiveness in 2026, bolstered by the expertise and investment of fuel partner Petronas. "We want to be open-minded," Wolff said.
"Petronas has been a great partner of ours. They're fully committed technically to the project, and with them we're evaluating if there's a regulation that can be changed to make it more financially sustainable."
