Bernie Ecclestone has all but conceded that F1 will say goodbye to its familiar V8 engines late next year.
The F1 chief executive is worried about the tamer tones of the turbo V6 engines that are under development for 2014, and had indicated a delayed introduction of the radical new rules was possible.
But when asked about the issue in India, 82-year-old Ecclestone answered: "We’re used to these (V8) engines.
"Maybe we’ll get used to the new ones (too)," he is quoted by the Hindustan Times.
And Ecclestone issued a firm "no" when asked if some V8s might still be allowed on the 2014 grid, as per the ’equivalency’ compromise of 2006 when the current engine rules were phased in.
"The rules should be the same for everyone," he insisted.