Formula 1: the evolution of single seaters

On the eve of the start of the 74th Championship - testing of the new cars in Bahrain from 21 to 23 February and first race, also in Bahrain, on Sunday 3 March - Roarington has prepared this historical excursus considering that many collectors collect Formula 1 single-seaters. One above all, and it could not be otherwise, Bernie Ecclestone.

Nino Farina was the first Formula One World Champion in 1950 with his Alfa Romeo 158 equipped with a 1479cc 8-cylinder supercharged by a single-stage Roots supercharger

Formula 1, the one that established the World Championship, was born on Saturday 13 May 1950 at Silverstone. The single-seaters that were allowed could have supercharged engines - at that time volumetric compressors were used and not turbochargers - or 4500 cc naturally aspirated engines. The initial regulations were only valid for two years: already in 1952 the engine capacities were reduced to 2000 cc. It was an absolute domination by Ferrari, which won its first two World Titles with Alberto Ascari.

The first World Championship won by Ferrari was in 1952 with Alberto Ascari at the wheel of the 500 F2 with a naturally aspirated 1984cc 4-cylinder engine

It was, however, 1954 that gave the World Championship a turning point with regulations that would remain stable for seven years. The displacement became 2500cc or, by choice - which no one did - 750cc with a supercharger. Mercedes, even with a fairing model for fast tracks, and Lancia took the field that year. There were 26 drivers on the track and it was Fangio who repeated the title won with Alfa Romeo in 1951, driving the Maserati for the first part of the season and then the new Mercedes. These are the years in which the Argentinean driver dominates: in 1956, with the withdrawal of Mercedes he is World Champion again in the Ferrari and then, in '57, with the magnificent Maserati 250 F.

In 1954 Juan Manuel Fangio won his second World Championship Title, starting the season at the wheel of the Maserati 250 F and finishing it in the Mercedes W 196 R with its naturally aspirated 8-cylinder 2500cc engine

The regulations are stable but an important change takes place: John Cooper presents his rear-engined single-seater and in 1959 it is the small British car that dominates with Australian Jack Brabham who repeats in 1960. After seven years of 2500cc engines, for safety reasons, the rules change again. Engines are limited to 1500cc and it is Enzo Ferrari who takes advantage of this with the superiority of his V6 Dino.

The 1961 Ferrari 156 F1 "Sharknose" powered by the 1476cc V6 Dino. Phil Hill is crowned World Champion

It lasted, however, it is only the space of one year and then Graham Hill, with BRM, and Jim Clark with Lotus rise to the top. In 1966 new rules: engines became 3000cc naturally aspirated and 1500cc turbocharged. It is Jack Brabham who has the best engine, the single-shaft Repco V8, which starts the cycle of this displacement by winning the World Title.

John Cooper revolutionises the world of Formula 1 by introducing the rear-mounted engine in 1959, specifically a naturally aspirated 2500cc four-cylinder. Jack Brabham in the T51 wins the World Championship.

But that of the Repco engine was a flash in the pan: in 1967 the engine that revolutionised Formula 1 came onto the scene. It was the Ford Cosworth DFV, 8 cylinders, compact and reliable, immediately adopted by most teams, especially the British ones.

The 1967 Lotus 49 adopts the 2998cc Cosworth DFV 8-cylinder V engine. With Jim Clark it wins on debut in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

The stability of the 3000 cc engine era led to traditional or even highly innovative alternatives such as the V12 engines of Ferrari and Matra that opposed the English 8-cylinder. But the real innovation came in 1977 when Renault decided to exploit the regulatory possibility of using small supercharged 1500cc engines. What seemed like a dubious adventure turned into a real revolution with the advent of turbochargers: even Ferrari lined up its single-seaters with turbo engines, giving the signal that the longevity of the Ford Cosworth engine would soon come to an end.

The 1977 Renault RS01 was the first turbocharged car in Formula 1, equipped with a 1496cc V6 Turbo engine.

It was 1989 when the regulations were again revolutionised: engines increased in displacement to 3500 cc and the use of turbochargers was banned. It is the period of McLaren's domination powered by Honda. In 1995, it was decided to reduce the power to 3000cc and this was the period of Renault's V10 engines winning with Williams and Benetton and then from 2000 onwards with the domination of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.

The McLaren MP4/5 of 1989, powered by Honda's 3500 cc V10 engine, was the protagonist of the famous accident between Senna and Prost at Suzuka, which put the title in the hands of the Frenchman.

The last Formula One World Championship with V10s is in 2005 with the victory of Fernando Alonso's Renault. In 2006, a new regulatory change imposed the 2500cc V8 engine, while in 2009 the road of energy recovery under braking was tackled with the introduction of KERS. It is up to a small electric motor of about 80hp to provide this extra power to the driver.

Fernando Alonso's 2006 Renault R26 powered by a 2398cc V8 with which the Spaniard won his second World Title.

The new revolution arrives in 2014, the year that marks the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era that binds to V6 power units as small as 1600cc using power generated by KERS and ERS. These are the engines of today, from 2026 new change... we will talk about this at length.

Since 2014, Formula 1 has been using hybrid power units with a 1600 cc turbocharged V6 heat engine. Here the Mercedes W05 with which Lewis Hamilton won the World Championship.