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Horner and Wolff worry about big performance differentiator's impact on 2026

17:27, 12 May

byNorberto Mujica

Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal, Christian Horner, and his Mercedes counterpart, Toto Wolff, have expressed their concerns regarding the sustainable fuel F1 is introducing as of next year.

In 2026, Formula 1 is undergoing a major rule revamp which is set to significantly alter the chassis, the PU, the aerodynamics, the - elimination - of DRS and the fuel as well.

In terms of the fuel, it is also a major step away from what is currently being used which is a mix of 90% fossil fuel and 10% ethanol. For next season, the fuel used in F1 cars will be 100% sustainable, synthesized from municipal waste, renewable non-biological resources and non-food biomass.

Amidst fuel costs talks, Horner wants 'another bracket' to be added to the F1 budget cap

"It was raised by one of the PUM's (Power Unit Manager, system that controls the amount ot air and fuel that enter the engine, among other things, ed.)," Horner said during the team representatives press conference in Miami.

"Personally, for us, it's not a significant issue. There are a lot of development costs in these new sustainable fuels that [are] being introduced."

"Maybe a certain bracket should be introduced [in the budget cap] going forward. But fuel is potentially one of the bigger performance differentiators. The fuel companies seem very engaged in that," Horner said.

Red Bull Racing's team principal and CEO, makes his way down the paddock at Bahrain

'Expensive to be 100% green', says Wolff

Wolff chose to elaborate on why exactly costs regarding F1's fuel of choice are as high as they are ahead of the 2026 season. "From my point of view, what makes it so expensive is that the whole supply chain and energy contribution needs to be green," the Austrian said.

"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. We want to be open-minded," added Wolff revealing the intention to look for sensible ways to bring down the cost of the manufacturing of the sustainable petrol.

"Petronas has been a great partner of ours. They’re fully committed technically to the project, and with them we’re evaluating is there a regulation that can be changed to make it more financially sustainable," concluded Wolff.