Helmut Marko leaks major F1 regulation change agreement after Bahrain GP chaos

Former Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has claimed that a major Formula 1 rule change is now a 'done deal' following the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The scheduled start of the race at the Sepang International Circuit was marred by power unit issues for multiple cars, including pole sitter and eventual race winner Max Verstappen. Power loss was triggered by low engine revs at low speed in the wet conditions, and the race start was called off for almost an hour while teams installed an emergency software upgrade sent by the FIA to prevent the issues from occurring again.

The issues resulted in a surreal scene during what was the opening formation lap, with Verstappen - who managed to get his car going again - doing a full lap of the circuit before coming across cars that had stopped on track. And Marko, who developed a close relationship with the Dutchman, has now revealed that new engine rules are, as far as he is aware, agreed upon.

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Helmut Marko criticises 'shameful' Bahrain GP start, claims new regulation is incoming

Speaking in an interview with Austrian outlet Oe24 following the Grand Prix in Malaysia, Marko described the scenes prior to the race start as 'shameful' and claims that a return to turbocharged engines - albeit only from 2030 - is now a 'done deal'.

"The waiting around because of the long delay was really boring. It's truly shameful that a high-end product like Formula 1 is brought to a halt by a software problem.

"On the other hand, this embarrassment helps to prompt a rethink. The return to the turbocharged V8 engine in 2030 is, as far as I know, a done deal."

While F1 introduced extensive changes to the power unit regulations for the 2026 season, one part that remained the same was the use of the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine.

The new unit features a near-50/50 power split between internal combustion power and electrical power, but these regulations will be tweaked from 2027 onwards after complaints from a number of drivers.

F1-Insider reported earlier this month that the sport's bosses were considering whether to go back to the V8 engines that were in use between 2006 and 2013, before the arrival of the V6 hybrid units which divided fans when they were introduced.

No official announcement has been made regarding the expected regulation change, however, though Audi chief Mattia Binotto recently stated that the earliest date for its introduction, if approved, would be 2030.

Marko left his role as motorsport advisor for Red Bull at the end of last year, but clearly appears to still have some inside knowledge of the discussions from within the paddock.

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Helmut Marko reveals Max Verstappen exchange

The Austrian, 82, is also keeping in touch with Verstappen - who recently signed a new contract to stay at Red Bull until the end of the 2030 season - following his departure from the team.

He explained how he had exchanged messages with the Dutchman following his first win of the season in Malaysia, and said it was 'really impressive' that Red Bull managed to win a race in their first season of using their own in-house power unit.

"The race itself was great ... I was happy for Max and for Red Bull for the first win with their own engine," Marko said. "It's really impressive what they've achieved. Just think back to how long it took Honda for example, back then. The chassis was to blame for it working out earlier [Red Bull winning this season].

"I sent him a message and congratulated him. He thanked me and said he was already looking forward to Singapore."