New FRECA 2026 powertrain by Toyota: a powerful and versatile engine

Among the many questionable and illogical decisions made over the years by the European Commission, the ban on thermal engines in the automotive sector has brought European manufacturers to the brink of failure. Some have failed more than others, but only time will tell. The only certainty is that they believed they would sell 200 million electric cars within ten years, a target not even reached at 10%. This madness has led manufacturers to cut investments and production of small-displacement sports engines, turning their lineups into a tragic collection of identical SUVs. Why this preamble? Simply because, without engines with the right characteristics on the market, it’s difficult to build an affordable single-seater feeder series.

Take the FIA Formula Regional European Championship: after the initial phase with Alpine’s 1.8-liter 4-cylinder turbo engines, finding a replacement unit became a problem, as the market now offers no more small-displacement, high-specific-power engines suitable for this type of application. The last manufacturer to produce small sports cars, Toyota, has however saved the situation by supplying its 1.6-liter 3-cylinder turbo engine from the Yaris GR to power the Formula Regional. In Japan, the 3-cylinder layout is widespread for tax reasons; in Europe, it has started to gain ground as manufacturers realized that eliminating one cylinder reduces engine costs by 25%. Considering today’s automotive culture, no one minds this choice except for purists.


A tough 3 cylinders
The Toyota 3-cylinder turbo 12-valve engine, called G16E, is used on the Yaris GR and Corolla GR, delivering 257 hp and 305 hp respectively. Over time, this unit has proven reliable and enjoyable to drive: its layout allows for vigorous power delivery from low revs, combined with compact dimensions, low weight, and contained costs. Entirely made of aluminum with an open-deck block structure to improve cooling of the upper cylinder area, it features a bore of 87.5 mm, a stroke of 89.7 mm, and a geometric compression ratio of 10.5:1—values that highlight the designers’ intent to achieve generous power output without chasing extremely high revs. Naturally, it uses direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber and an essential anti-vibration balance shaft. Material selection and manufacturing quality have always been Toyota’s strengths: standard equipment includes forged pistons matched with steel connecting rods and crankshaft. This unit has been developed for single-seater use by Autotecnica Motori, which will also manage and service it.

 

A real F3
The Tatuus T-326 is the second-generation Formula Regional single-seater, clearly representing an evolution over the previous T-318 in terms of aerodynamics, performance, and safety. The chassis, suspension, and aerodynamic bodywork are all new, closer to those of higher-category single-seaters, fully compliant with FIA regulations.

It’s all good, but…
The concept of single-make categories now dominates the lower tiers of motorsport. In the world of single-seaters, only Formula 1 manufacturers still build their own cars, forced to follow increasingly restrictive regulations that stifle technical creativity. Lower formulas, however, should serve as a training ground not only for drivers but also for young engineers and constructors. If every category becomes single-make, no one will ever be able to lay the foundations for a new project or company, knowing that supplying an entire championship with cars and spare parts would be too costly for an investment that could turn out to be a leap into the void.

If the car cannot be touched, except for basic adjustments, what’s missing is a school for engineers, designers, and engine builders. This might be acceptable if everything must revolve solely around the driver, but then we end up with a reality where there are no more young technical talents capable of making a difference. Today, aside from the genius of Adrian Newey, who still sketches by hand and walks the grid with a notepad and pencil to study solutions, there is no generational replacement able to make a difference. There is no longer an engineer who truly controls the overall car project and knows exactly where to intervene in case of performance shortcomings. The underlying problem is that, without these central figures, the project is fragmented among various technical teams, each with their own ideas, resulting in a mishmash of concepts that often don’t work, and no one knows exactly why.

In the F1 of Colin Chapman, Mauro Forghieri, Gordon Murray, John Barnard, Rory Byrne, and many other geniuses, each had total control and responsibility for the single-seater they designed, knowing exactly where to intervene to solve problems that today are unsolvable precisely because there are too many cooks in the kitchen. All these brilliant engineers came from lower categories, designing innovative and revolutionary single-seaters that paved their way to the motorsport Olympus. If we continue down this single-make path, which ultimately brings no real economic savings, we will consolidate a situation where only a few companies can build single-seaters, and there will be no opportunity for young talents to bring their ideas to life.