Jeff Dodds says F1 V8 rethink helps Formula E

Jeff Dodds says Formula 1’s early rethink of its hybrid-heavy engine direction could ultimately strengthen Formula E, arguing that a clearer split between combustion and electric racing would work in the all-electric series’ favor.

Speaking to SoyMotor.com in Monaco, the Formula E CEO said F1 deserves credit for reacting only a few races into the 2026 regulations, which raised the electric share of the power unit to 50%. "First of all, you have to give them credit, because they have listened and realized that things are not going as they expected, so they are making changes," Dodds said.

For Dodds, the bigger point is what that means for Formula E if F1 continues to move back toward a more combustion-led future. "The only thing I would say is that them making a change is good for us, because they are a combustion championship and we are an electric championship, it is very easy to understand," he said.

The debate has gathered pace almost immediately under the new rules, with drivers unhappy at how much racing has become shaped by energy management. Max Verstappen summed up that frustration during Bahrain testing when he described the new cars as "Formula E with steroids."

Dodds said the difficulty of the 2026 formula should not have come as a surprise. "I think maybe it was not a surprise, or it should not have been, that it was going to be difficult," he said. "Things may not have gone exactly as they expected, but I think many of us anticipated that could happen."

That does not mean a V8 comeback is around the corner. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali have both indicated support for lighter, simpler V8-style engines after 2030, but Dodds stressed that any return remains distant rather than imminent.

"2030, 2031 is still a long way away," he said. "If you are an F1 driver and you are excited about the return to V8s, you have to be excited for the next three or four years, because that is the time it will take to get there, so it is going to feel like a long time."

That timeline matters because the current 2026 engine platform is backed by major manufacturer investment, making any short-term reversal unrealistic. Even so, Dodds sees the direction of travel as important. If F1 ends up leaning back toward simpler combustion-led engines, Formula E would be left with a sharper identity as top-level motorsport’s electric championship just as it prepares for the arrival of Gen4, its next major technical step.