List of Formula One engine manufacturers from France

Nine Formula One engine manufacturers from France produced engines either for their own cars or other Formula One chassis manufacturers. Bugatti, Gordini, Matra, Peugeot, Renault and Talbot have designed and produced engines. Mecachrome and Supertec were subcontractors of Renault designer. CTA-Arsenal competed in only two races. The Japanese company Asiatech resumed for two seasons, development and maintenance of Peugeot engines.

Renault engines are associated with 12 of the constructors world championships titles and 11 Drivers World Championship titles.

Engine manufacturers have followed the regulation of Formula One enacted by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

Alphabetical list of French Formula One engine manufacturers

Bugatti

The French car manufacturer Bugatti, which competed in Grand Prix racing before the Second World War, created a Formula One engine for its Bugatti T251 : it took part in only one race, in 1956.^[1]

• T2.5 L8 (1956): inline eight cylinders, 2 .5 L, 230 hp at 8 000 rpm, Gioacchino Colombo designer.

Bugatti was based in Molsheim (Bas-Rhin).

CTA-Arsenal

The CTA designed an engine for its racing car in 1946. However, it only competed in two races, in 1947 and 1949. The project was abandoned before the creation of the world championship of Formula One.^[2]

• V8 , surcharged, 1.5 L, 215 hp at 6 000 rpm (1946 release) and 275 hp at 8 000 rpm (1948 release), Albert Lory designer.

The engines were manufactured in Châtillon-sous-Bagneux (now Hauts de Seine department).

Gordini

Amédée Gordini has designed several engines for French automobile manufacturer Simca and for Gordini Formula One racing cars. Simca took part in 14 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1953 and Gordini 33 from 1952 to 1956.^[3]

• T15C (1950) : inline four cylinders, supercharged, 1.5 L, 195 hp at 6 500 rpm.
• T20 (1952) : inline six cylinders, 2.0L, 160 hp at 7000 rpm.
• T23 (1954) : inline six cylinders, 2.5 L, 228 hp at 6 500 rpm.
• T25 (1955) : inline eight cylinders, 2.5 L, 260 hp at 7 500 rpm.

Gordini was based in Paris.

Matra

Matra MS12 V12 3.0 L engine, 485 hp

The Matra engines, V12, 3.0 L, equipped Formula One Matra from 1968 to 1972, Shadow in 1975, and Ligier from 1976 to 1978, in 1981 and 1982.,^[4] designed by Georges Martin

• MS09 (1968) : 395 hp at 10 500 rpm.
• MS12 (1970) : 485 hp at 11 400 rpm.
• MS71 (1971) : 440 hp at 11 000 rpm.
• MS72 (1972) : 485 hp at 11 800 rpm.
• MS73 (1975) : 490 hp at 11 500 rpm. .
• MS76 (1977), MS78 (1978) et MS81 (1981): 520 hp at 12 300 rpm.

Matra Sports F1 was based in the center of France, in Romorantin-Lantenay (Loir-et-Cher).

Mecachrome

Mecachrome manufactured engines designed by Renault (RS9 ) from 1998 to 2000. They were marketed by Playlife for Benetton, by Supertec for Williams and BAR.^[5]

• GC3701-RS09 (1998): V10, 3.0 L, 775 hp at 15 600 rpm.

Mecachrome was based in the center of France, in Aubigny (Cher).

Peugeot

Peugeot A18 engine

The Peugeot engines, V10, equipped several Formula One teams, McLaren in 1994, Jordan from 1995 to 1997, Prost from 1998 to 2000.^[6] Peugeot Sport F1 was based near Paris, in Vélizy-Villacoublay (Yvelines).

• A4 (1994) : 3.5 L, 700 hp at 14 250 rpm.
• A6 (1994) : 3.5 L, 760 hp at 14 500 rpm.
• A10 (1995) : 3.0 L, 760 hp at 15 500 rpm.
• A12 (1996) : 3.0 L, 720 hp at 15 500 rpm.
• A14 (1997) : 3.0 L, 750 hp at 15 500 rpm.
• A16 (1998) : 3.0 L, 765 hp at 15 200 rpm.
• A18 (1999) : 3.0 L, 785 hp at 15 700 rpm.
• A20 (2000) : 3.0 L, 800 hp at 16 200 rpm.

The Japanese company Asiatech (Asia Motor Technologies France SA), founded by Hideo Morita, near Paris, in Vélizy-Villacoublay, ensured the development and maintenance of Peugeot engine A20, in 2001 for Arrows, in 2002 for Minardi during 33 Grands Prix.

• 01 (2001) : V10, 3.0 L, 800 hp at 17 500 rpm.
• AT02 (2002) : V10, 3.0 L, 800 hp at 17 500 rpm.

Renault

Renault V6 1.5 L turbocharged 750 hp

Renault engines equipped Renault Formula One racing cars from 1977 to 1985 and from 2002 to 2011 ; they also equipped other teams:^[7]

• Team Lotus from 1983 to 1986,
• Equipe Ligier from 1984 to 1986, in 1990, from 1992 to 1994,
• Tyrrell Racing in 1985 and 1986,
• Williams Grand Prix Engineering from 1990 to 1997, in 2012 and 2013,
• Benetton Formula from 1995 to 1997, in 2001,
• Red Bull Racing from 2007 to 2015,
• Caterham F1 from 2011 to 2014,
• Lotus F1 from 2012 to 2014,
• Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2014 and 2015.

Renault Sport F1 is based near Paris, in Viry-Chatillon (Essonne).^[8]

V6 1.5 L turbocharged engines

The engine power exceeded 500 hp in the first year of competition.

• EF1 (from 1977 to 1983) : from 510 hp at 11 000 rpm to 650 hp at 12 000 rpm.
• EF4 (1984) : 750 hp at 11 500 rpm.
• EF4-B (1984) : 760 hp at 11 500 rpm.
• EF15 (1985) : 810 hp at 11 500 rpm.
• EF15B (1986) : 800 hp at 12 500 rpm.

V10 engines naturally aspired

Renault RS2 V10 3.5 L 660 hp

Renault RS7 V10 3.0 L 750 hp

The engine power exceed 650 hp in the first year of competition (V10, 67 degrees angle, 3.5 L).

• RS1 (1989) : 650 hp.
• RS2 (1990) : 660 hp at 12 800 rpm.
• RS3 (1991) : 700 hp at 12 500 rpm.
• RS4 (1992) : 750 hp at 13 000 rpm, Nigel Mansell world champion drivers and Williams world champion constructors .
• RS5 (1993) : 780 hp at 13 800 rpm, Alain Prost world champion drivers and Williams world champion constructors.
• RS6 (1994) : 790 hp at 14 300 rpm, Williams world champion constructors.

The engine power exceed 750 hp in the first year of competition (V10, 3.0 L).

• RS7 (1995) : 67 degrees angle, 750 hp at 14 300 rpm, Michael Schumacher world champion drivers and Benetton world champion constructors .
• RS8 (1996) : 67 degrees angle, 750 hp at 14 500 rpm, Damon Hill world champion drivers and Williams world champion constructors.
• RS9 (1997) : 71 degrees angle, 755 hp at 14 600 rpm, Jacques Villeneuve world champion drivers and Williams world champion constructors.
• RS21 (2001) : 112 degrees angle, 780 hp at 17 400 rpm.
• RS22 (2002) : 112 degrees angle, 820 hp at 17 500 rpm.
• RS23 (2003) : 112 degrees angle, 830 hp at 17 800 rpm.
• RS24 (2004) : 72 degrees angle, 900 hp at 19 000 rpm.
• RS25 (2005) : 72 degrees angle, 900 hp at 19 000 rpm, Fernando Alonso world champion drivers and Renault world champion constructors.

V8 engines naturally aspirated

RS27-2008.

The engine power exceed 750 hp in the first year of competition (V8, 90 degrees angle, 2.4 L).

• RS26 (2006) : 750 hp at 19 500 rpm, Fernando Alonso world champion drivers and Renault world champion constructors
• RS27 (2007) : 770 hp at 19 000 rpm.
• RS27-2008 : more than 770 hp at 19 000 rpm.
• RS27-2009 : more than 750 hp at 18 000 rpm.^[9]
• RS27-2010 : more than 750 hp at 18 000 rpm, Sebastian Vettel world champion drivers and Red Bull world champion constructors.
• RS27-2011 : more than 750 hp at 18 000 rpm, Sebastian Vettel world champion drivers and Red Bull world champion constructors.
• RS27-2012 : more than 750 hp at 18 000 rpm (from 10 to 20 hp more),^[10] Sebastian Vettel world champion drivers and Red Bull world champion constructors.
• RS27-2013 : more than 750 hp at 18 000 rpm, Sebastian Vettel world champion drivers and Red Bull world champion constructors.

V6 turbocharged, 90 degrees angle, 1.6 L engines with energy recovery systems

• RE F1 (2014) : 600 hp at 15 000 rpm, plus 160 hp by energy recovery systems.

Supertec

Supertec supplied Renault-designed, Mecachrome-built 1998 season engines updated for 1999 and 2000. Supertec, founded by Flavio Briatore, powered Williams , Benetton Formula and BAR in 1999, Benetton and Arrows in 2000 with Mecachrome engines.^[11]

• FB01 (1999) : 71 degrees angle V10, 3.0 L, 780 hp at 15 800 rpm, 121 kg.
• FB02 (2000) : 71 degrees angle V10, 780 hp, 117 kg.

Talbot

Two Talbot engines equipped Talbot-Darracq et Talbot-Lago Formula One.^[12]

• 700 (1950) : inline eight cylinders, surcharged, 1.5 L, 160 hp at 7 200 rpm (engaged in one Grand Prix).
• 23 CV (1950) : inline six cylinders, 4.5 L, 280 hp at 5 000 rpm (thirteen Grands Prix).

Talbot was based near Paris, in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine).

References

1. "Bugatti Engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
2. "French pride rebuffed again!". Retrieved 2015-01-27.
3. "Gordini Engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
4. "Matra engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
5. "Mecachrome Engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
6. "Peugeot engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
7. "Renault engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
8. "Renault Sport F1". Renault official. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
9. "About RS27". Renault official. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
10. (French)"Le Renault RS27 plus puissant en 2012". Auto Hebdo. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
11. "Supertec engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
12. "Talbot engines". STATS F1. Retrieved 2015-01-27.

Further reading

• Luc Melua : « Compresseurs et turbos, la suralimentation », Editions EPA, Paris, 1985.
• Leo Turrini & Daniele Amaduzzi  : « F1 91 », Vallardi & Associat Editeur (Milano) 1991.
• Luc Domenjoz, Steve Domenjoz & Domonique Leroy : « L’année 1993 Formule 1 », préface Jean Alesi, Chronosports Editeur (Lausanne), 1993 ?
• « 1999 Formula 1 Yearbook », version française « 99 Formule 1 », préface Jacques Laffite, TF1 Editions (Paris), 1999.
• French magazine Sport Auto collection.