The Story of the F1 V12 Era
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 19 February 2025
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
The F1 V12 era
The story of Formula 1 is one of constant evolution, with the very essence of the sport being about technical innovation and pushing the limits of engineering. The F1 V12 era spanned more than 40 years, and for a brief period, the engine was considered to be the pinnacle of mechanics and defined Ferrari for generations. In this guide, we’ve covered the long and complex story of the V12 engine in Formula 1 and its impact on the sport.
Intro to the F1 V12 Engine
While the story of the Formula 1 V12 engine has many twists and turns, we’ve begun our guide by starting at the very beginning. We have traced it through its golden era in the 1960s, covering its numerous stages of development until it was phased out in the 1990s.
Our guide has also covered the alternative engines that ultimately usurped it, as well as the most memorable innovations headed by Matra and BRM. To round out this guide, we’ve looked ahead to the upcoming changes to F1’s regulations in 2026, where a new era of engines is set to revolutionize the sport.
- The Birth of the V12
- V12 in the 1960s
- Matra and BRM’s Innovations
- Evolutions and Challenges
- Alternatives Arise
- The Peak Days
- End of an Era
- Looking Ahead to 2026
The Birth of the Formula 1 V12 Engine
The beginning of the F1 V12 era can be traced back to the inaugural season of the sport in 1950. The engine, which came to be associated with Ferrari, powered the company’s 125 F1, which was born out of a collaboration with Enzo Ferrari and engineer Gioacchino Colombo.
The 1.5-liter engine included a pioneering 60-degree V-angle that became the standard for V12 engines. Initially, the engine had 230 horsepower, which offered smooth power delivery and reliability despite not being the most powerful engine in the competition. It also included a revolutionary single overhead camshaft per bank, two valves per cylinder, and three Weber carburetors.
Ferrari quickly realized that having a bigger engine would be more efficient on fuel, so it developed a 4.5-liter engine for the 380 horsepower Ferrari 375 in 1951. That year, the team won its first championship grand prix with the car due to needing fewer pit stops than its main rival Alfa Romeo. Raced by José Froilán González at Silverstone Circuit, the V12 quickly emerged as a serious contender.
It wasn’t just Ferrari that was getting in on the action. Italian manufacturer OSCA also used a V12 to power its Maserati 250F, though their configuration offered little advantage to the standard V6. In 1957, Maserati dropped out of the sport altogether. Ferrari too briefly dropped the V12 in favor of the V8.
The 1960s: The Rise of the Ferrari V12
The 1960s ushered in a new era for the F1 V12 engine. Early in the decade, regulations were introduced to limit engines to 1.5 liters. This required engineers to refine the engines to be more elegant, and in 1964, Ferrari’s 1512 F1-63 debuted as a radical redesign of the concept.
The engine flat was laid to lower the car’s center of gravity and produced 220 horsepower per liter. Ferrari’s 158 also implemented the V12 effectively, with its broad power band proving to be beneficial on circuits with long straights. It reached 11,000 rpm and proved crucial in securing championships against BRM and Lotus.
The same year, Honda also entered the sport with a V12, which it used until it exited the sport in 1968. Although Ferrari momentarily returned to V8s for a few years, it returned to the V12 and continued using it for the rest of the 1960s.
Matra and BRM’s Revolutionize the V12
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, innovations from Ferrari’s rivals Matra and British Racing Motors (BRM) saw major developments to the V12 engine. BRM developed the P142 and eventually the P180. Considered a masterpiece of engineering, the engine produced over 450 horsepower from its 3.0-liter capacity. Pedro Rodriguez exhibited the potential of the engine with wins at the Spa and Watkins Glen circuits.
However, the team that can be credited with creating the most memorable F1 V12 sound, is Matra, whose MS120 series of cars produced a distinctive noise that has gone down in history. Designed by Georges Martin, the engine evolved from its straight-line functions, which was exhibited by Jean-Pierre Beltoise’s Monaco win in 1972. While both teams can no longer be found at F1 betting apps, their impact on the sport cannot be understated.
Evolution and Challenges of the V12
The F1 V12 era went through many highs and lows over the decades, with its development going on to impact other engine advancements. For example, the considerable heat generated from 12 cylinders propagated innovations in cooling systems, while the longer crankshaft required inspired evolutions in precision manufacturing.
Another major challenge of the V12 Formula 1 cars was that they consumed copious amounts of fuel and were much heavier than other engines. To overcome this, manufacturers were required to use alternative materials and come up with new construction techniques to mitigate the downsides.
The Rise of V12 Alternatives
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the V12 faced increasing competition from alternative designs. The Cosworth DFV V8 provided a combination of power, reliability, and cost-effectiveness that the V12 couldn’t match. However, the V12 still offered its advantages including a higher maximum rpm.
The V12 also boasted a smoother delivery of power which was especially notable in wet conditions. While the V8 continued to dominate during this period, Ferrari remained committed to the V12 configuration, favoring its superior response characteristics over the V8. That said, its wide engine reduced the amount of under-body downforce the V12 could generate.
The 1980s saw the rise of the first turbo era, which made small-capacity engines favorable. This resulted in 1985 being the first season without a V12 for more than 20 years. When turbos were banned in 1988, V12s made a comeback in the following year, with Ferrari using a 3.5-liter engine for the next six seasons to huge success.
The 1990s: The Peak of the V12
The first half of the 1990s is considered to be the pinnacle of the F1 V12 era, with several manufacturers debuting V12 cars for the first time. Of these, Ferrari was the most successful, with its 3.5-liter 412T series producing over 800 horsepower and over 17,000 rpm.
McLaren also embraced the V12, resulting in several titles for Ayrton Senna, with the last championship win with a V12 earned by Senna in 1991. Lamborghini also entered the F1 as an engine supplier in the early 1990s, providing teams such as Larrousse, Lotus, and Ligier with their innovatively designed engines.
Not all teams were successful with the V12 though. Honda famously transitioned to V12 in 1991 and 1992 to poor results, while Porsche’s heavy V12 design for Footwork proved to be unreliable and underpowered. Yamaha’s V12 for teams in 1991 and 1992 was also unreliable and inspired teams to move to the V10. By the end of 1994, Ferrari was the only team using the V12 engine.
The End of an Era
The death knell for the Formula 1 V12 engine came after new regulations were introduced in 1995. This saw a 3.0-liter capacity limit introduced, rendering the V12 uncompetitive against the V10. The issues with the engine’s weight and design also came to the forefront when engineers made headways into aerodynamics.
Its taller engine required higher engine covers, which disrupted the airflow to the rear wing. Compared to the V10, with its similar power output, better efficiency, and lighter weight, the V12 couldn’t compete. In 1996, Ferrari switched to the V10, marking the end of the V12 in Formula 1 racing for good.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Changes
A lot has happened in the 30 years since the F1 V12 engine was phased out, with several dramatic regulatory changes shaping teams’ approaches to development. In 2026, some of the largest changes to the regulations will come into play, requiring manufacturers to integrate sustainable technology, alternative fuel sources, and electrical power in their 1.6-liter V6 engines.
This marks a huge shift from the fuel-guzzling days of the V12, with the focus on sustainability representative of the new challenges facing the motor industry at large. The season will also see new manufacturers such as Audi and Cadillac arrive on the grid, with the latter set to be the only American team competing.
