Combustion engines have 'long future'

The combustion engine isn't dead yet says Taffin

(GMM) Renault engine boss Remi Taffin thinks there will be "no massive changes" on the grid this year, as the sweeping rule changes for 2021 loom large.

"I'm not revealing a big secret when I say that 50 percent of our resources are already aimed at 2021," he admitted to Auto Motor und Sport.

But Formula 1 is looking even beyond 2021, with the sport's technical boss Pat Symonds revealing recently that two-stroke engines could make their debut in 2025.

Taffin appears to agree that, while the car industry's tendency has been towards electric power, the internal combustion engine also has a strong future.

"Many people are talking the combustion engine into the grave, but I think it has a long future," he said.

"Look at our current engine. We do a very good job of burning the fuel as efficiently as possible. The problem is that we market what we have achieved very poorly.

"But the engines are not only so efficient because of the hybrid part. The combustion engine also provides a big part of that, and we should make that clearer.

"The question for the future will be whether we should increase the hybrid part or prefer to go with environmentally-friendly fuels," added Taffin.