When Nigel Mansell, the guy who snagged both the 1992 Formula 1 World Championship and the 1993 CART Indy Car title back-to-back, speaks, you better listen up. He’s the only driver in history to hold both crowns simultaneously, and he’s not holding back on what he thinks F1 has messed up. He just laid out exactly what he’d fix, and his list cuts deep into the modern era.
F1’s Grid Is Way Too Small, He Says
Mansell’s first beef? The number of cars on the grid. “I’m pleased there’s 22 cars on the grid, there still should be 26 cars on the grid,” he stated. He wants a minimum of 26 cars and hopes China steps up with a team. Back in the mid-1980s, Mansell remembers 46 cars were fighting for just 26 spots. Teams were getting turned away because the sport was so hot. Cadillac joining as the eleventh constructor in 2026 pushed the grid to 22 cars, the most we’ve seen in years, but for a legend like Mansell, that’s still not enough of a spectacle. He wants more teams, more competition.
These Hybrid Engines Are Killing the Vibe
But the grid size is almost secondary to his biggest point: the power units. The 2026 season rolled out a new hybrid architecture that splits output between combustion and electrical power, and Mansell is *not* a fan. He’s outright called the new overtaking method, where drivers deploy electrical boost on demand, “false.” Max Verstappen, a current champ, actually shares that view. Mansell’s dream alternative? “I’d love to see the V8s or V10s come back with the noise, and have something standard and keep it like that.” He points out that “You don’t have to have engines costing millions of pounds. You have to be sensible at times.” A current power unit costs well over seven figures. Compare that to the Cosworth DFV era, when you could get a “great Cosworth DFV for $25,000.” Mercedes alone reportedly spent around $1.4 billion developing their original turbo hybrid unit after 2014, and the 2026 power unit cost cap is now up to $130 million per manufacturer, per year. Those numbers are insane.
The V10 conversation isn’t new; it’s been buzzing around F1 for years. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has publicly said the sport “should consider a range of directions including the roaring sound of the V10 running on sustainable fuel.” Even Ferrari and Red Bull have jumped on board with the idea. But after a manufacturer summit in Bahrain, it looks like V10s won’t be back before 2030. The 2026 hybrid rules are locked in, and switching before then would be too disruptive for the teams. Mansell’s pitch is simple: more teams, simpler engines, and regulations that “get something where drivers can drive flat out all the time.” The real question is whether F1’s massive commercial and political machine can ever embrace that kind of simplicity. We’ll be watching to see if F1 gets the message.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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