12 April, 2021 Carmakers and governments have called time on the internal combustion engine as they switch to electric but Formula 1 sees plenty of life in it yet as the sport races towards a zero-carbon future. Current grand prix cars use a highly efficient 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid power unit, a far cry from the gas-guzzling V12 and V10 monsters of old, and a new “powerful and emotive” one is due in 2025 to run 100% on sustainable fuels. The sport hopes to set the specification by June this year. “While many people might think the internal combustion engine is dead, I would argue it is far from dead,” chief technical officer Pat Symonds told a recent Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) conference on energy-efficient motorsport.