Why Formula One Engines Went From V12s To V6s

“There are no bad ideas in a brainstorm,” they say. Only slightly lesser well known is, “if there’s a four stroke piston engine that’s not a radial, Formula 1’s tried it.” There have been inline fours, sixes, and eights, 180-degree eights and 12s, V-twins, V6s, V8s, V10s, V12s, V16s, and H16s in naturally aspirated, supercharged, turbocharged, and hybrid configurations. 

Most layout experimentation is ancient history, though. Let’s focus on 1989+ engines, since they’re likely the most familiar. The “Turbo Era” ended in 1988 when the FIA reined in horsepower to prevent repeats of the more terrifying crashes. In 1989, 1.5-liter turbo V6s were out, and 3.5-liter naturally aspirated (N/A) V12s, V10s, and V8s were in (reduced to 3.0 liters in 1995). V12s were initially popular because they rev to dental drill speeds and generate prodigous thrust, but their size and fuel consumption became burdensome. Still, Ferrari F1 V12 screams are the stuff dreams are made of.

Lighter, smaller V10s took the V12’s place, but manufacturers reached for the sun with exotic materials and precision manufacturing, so the FIA melted their wings in 2006, making 2.4-liter V8s standard. This reduced development costs and emissions at first, but by 2013, the V8s were seen as outdated, thirsty engines. In 2014, regulations changed again because of F1’s push toward carbon neutrality, reverting to the layout it banned in the ’80s: the turbo V6. This time, however, the displacement was 1.6 liters and the powertrains became hybrids. Let’s examine the progression in more detail.