High on the agenda is whether or not F1 will return to V8 engines, not used in the sport since 2013. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem raised eyebrows during the Miami GP weekend when he said the “V8 is coming,” possibly as early as 2030, and even without the approval of F1’s power unit manufacturers.

Russell’s Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff then threw his support behind the idea, telling media, including GPblog, to “count us in to come back with a real racing engine,” before Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies also backed a potential move, teasing an “early start” given the Milton Keynes-based team’s new engine partnership with American manufacturer Ford.

Others are not as convinced, however, with former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya criticising the idea to return to “boring” V8s and claiming racing felt like test sessions during that particular engine era. “People say, ‘Oh, your time was so good,’ I say, ‘Watch a race, it’s so boring. Even for us. It was sometimes like a short test session," Montoya said.

Russell, who currently trails his championship-leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by 20 points in the Drivers’ standings, has had his say on F1’s future. The Briton will be 33 years old by the time a new regulation cycle is set to be implemented, but has highlighted two areas for F1 to look at, with a particular view on the power unit and sustainable fuels.

“Obviously there’s a lot to talk about,” Russell said as per PlanetF1. “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.”

Next up on Russell’s wish list was a return to lighter cars, but the Mercedes driver was wary not to get swayed by nostalgia over F1’s “glory days,” when V10 or V8-powered cars were indeed lighter, but not necessarily the best for overtaking, comments which seem to somewhat echo those made by Montoya.

Elsewhere, Mercedes boss Wolff has addressed Russell’s tough start to the season behind teammate Antonelli, who leads the title fight as F1’s youngest championship leader ever after his third consecutive win of the season at the Miami GP. While the 19-year-old’s talent has hardly been in doubt, many had tipped Russell to be the clear favourite for the 2026 title.

Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport: "What we love about this sport is that the clock never lies at the end of the race, and the clock says Kimi deservedly won the last three GPs. Russell hasn't done as well, in some cases due to team problems, or bad luck, and in Miami due to his own mistakes.