Button says most F1 drivers miss V10 engines
Jenson Button has revealed that many Formula 1 drivers would prefer a return to the V10 engines, despite the sport's ongoing shift towards greener technology.
Jenson Button has said that most Formula 1 drivers would like to see the return of V10 engines, recalling the era when the sport's cars produced a distinctive high-revving sound. Button, the 2009 world champion, made his comments in April 2011 as Formula 1 prepared to introduce 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines in 2013 under new FIA rules.
Button told El Pais that the V10 era was especially memorable for drivers, with engines revving to 20,000rpm and producing what he described as an incredible noise. He said many drivers in the Grand Prix Drivers' Association shared his view, recalling the 2004 and 2005 seasons as a high point for engine sound and spectacle. Button added that while the V8 engines that followed also sounded good, the V10s were particularly special.
Button's comments followed similar remarks from Sebastian Vettel, who said he would prefer to drive a car with a "brutal" V12 and without the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Formula 1's move to smaller, more efficient engines was part of the FIA's strategy to reduce emissions and improve the sport's environmental image.
Drivers accept F1's greener direction
Despite his nostalgia, Button accepted that Formula 1 needed to pursue greener technology to ensure its long-term future. He said the sport had to adapt to environmental expectations and that the FIA's policy was the right direction for F1 to continue for many years.
