Formula 1's stakeholders will "struggle to agree on new engine regulations" for '21 and beyond, Renault Sport Managing Dir Cyril Abiteboul said, according to Adam Cooper of MOTORSPORT. Discussions about a new formula have "already began." However, while Abiteboul said that there is a "consensus" on what is "wrong with the current regulations," agreeing in detail on a solution that is acceptable to all parties -- including fans -- will be "less straightforward." Abiteboul said, "That's typically an area where solutions will not be easily found, because of the complexity of the technology, because of the complexity of the question. You need to satisfy carmakers who are financing the sport in the current model. Maybe a different model could be found where carmakers are not so important for the business model of the sport, but it's not [currently] the case." Key outcomes of the initial meeting included an "agreement that a hybrid element should remain part of the new formula, and that there should be a focus on engine noise." Abiteboul added, "Electrification is never going to go away, that's for sure, so we need electrification, we need hybrid. We need possibly more in the mix between ICE and hybrid, but, having said that, we cannot do that to the detriment of the show. We need noise, we need F1 to be blasting for the fans, and we don't deliver that at the moment" (MOTORSPORT, 4/25).
