Who is the most successful engine supplier in F1?

Multiple engine manufacturers in Formula 1 have been very successful with multiple teams in the history of Formula 1.


Who is the most successful engine supplier in F1?

Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen at Las Vegas GP (Via IMAGO)

Formula 1 is a sport heavily based on data and numbers apart from the high-adrenaline racing action. Many teams bring about multiple changes in their cars down the season in an attempt to maximize advantages over other teams. An advantage of even ten milliseconds could prove to be significant for a team during a race. However, the engine or the power unit of a car is perhaps the most important part of any car’s success and performance down the season. Hence, as the F1 grid prepares itself for the 2024 season, the most successful engine suppliers in F1 continue their domination in the sport.

Many new engine suppliers have entered and exited the sport ever since its inception back in 1950. Formula 1’s cars and engines have been extremely updated every season to ensure maximum safety for the drivers. The engine manufacturers constantly develop their power units to maximize performance for the car, and multiple teams run the engines from a similar manufacturer for a single season.

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Additionally, some teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Audi, will have their own works-spec power units. Hence, the regulation changes in 2026 will also affect the development and manufacturing of these power units down the timeline of Formula 1. Apart from this, teams like McLaren, Williams, and Aston Martin currently use the Mercedes works engine and these teams include the German manufacturer’s name in their title as part of the deal. Moreover, General Motors is planning to build its own power units to power the proposed bid of Andretti-Cadillac by 2028.

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The team’s success in the sport benefits the respective engine manufacturer. Hence, every manufacturer wants to develop the quickest and best engine in a season to achieve maximum monetary benefits from the season. However, sometimes the manufacturer gets something incorrect, inadvertently sabotaging a team’s entire season. This article delves to find out Who is the most successful engine supplier in F1?

Here are the most successful engine suppliers in Formula 1

5. Honda

The Japanese engine manufacturer has been an integral part of the sport for a very long time. The recent success of Red Bull in the sport has also contributed majorly to the power unit works of the Japanese giant. However, Honda RBPT stats aren’t exactly attributed solely to Honda due to RBPT’s involvement in the process. Honda officially has been a part of 89 race wins and an astounding total of 223 podiums.

Honda engine in the Red Bull's 2020 chassis (via Metropolitian Magazine).
Honda engine in the Red Bull’s 2020 chassis (via Metropolitian Magazine).

The Japanese giant is known for its stellar success with McLaren. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost drove the Honda-powered MP4/4 to a legendary campaign in 1988 with just a single race not being won by the two. In 2023, a similar feat was achieved by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez with the same power unit supplier.

4. Mercedes

Mercedes engine was hugely successful before the German manufacturer took a big hit by the regulation changes of 2022. The German giant enjoyed a highly dominant run by winning all the constructors’ championships between 2014 to 2021. Additionally, the two other victories during 1998 and 2010 increased the title wins to an impressive ten wins. As a result, Mercedes has totaled 212 race wins and 582 podiums for the German manufacturer.

Mercedes engine in Mercedes' W13 chassis (via Motorsport.com).
Mercedes engine in Mercedes’ W13 chassis (via Motorsport.com).

Lewis Hamilton undoubtedly is synonymous with the Silver Arrows including his stint at McLaren.

3. Ford Cosworth

Much like Mercedes’ ten titles, Ford Cosworth was also a manufacturer that facilitated teams to total title wins to ten for the British manufacturer. Ford Cosworth DFV found success in the late 1960s all the way up to the early 1980s. The British giant was responsible for adding up 176 race victories and a whopping total of 533 podiums. Although these numbers might be less than Mercedes’ numbers, scoring these results back in the early days of F1 was a huge feat for Cosworth.

Ford Cosworth DFV engine in Lotus' chassis (via historicmotorsportcentral).
Ford Cosworth DFV engine in Lotus’ chassis (via historicmotorsportcentral).

The American giant will return to F1 as an engine supplier in 2026 as part of Red Bull Powertrains.

2. Renault

Renault engine manufacturers had a similar bout to Honda manufacturers. This is because the French engine supplier had multiple entries and exits into the sport of Formula 1. However, Renault’s interception with the sport has mostly been positive scoring multiple victories and podiums. As a result, Renault has won an astounding total of twelve constructors’ championships with multiple teams. The French engine manufacturer amassed 169 race victories paired up with 463 podiums for the manufacturer.

Renault engine in Alpine's chassis (via Autoracing1.com).
Renault engine in Alpine’s chassis (via Autoracing1.com).

The French giant was most notably known for its two back-to-back titles with Fernando Alonso in the mid-2000s. Before Sebastian Vettel dominated the sport with Red Bull in the early 2010s with Renault engines. Although, the Enstone-based squad has fallen behind rivals in the current rule-set.

1. Ferrari

Ferrari’s success in F1 is not surprising, considering the team’s significance in the sport ever since its inception. The Italian giant is the most successful engine manufacturer ever in the history of Formula 1. Additionally, Ferrari is synonymous with F1 and hence the sport provides the Maranello with an extra 5% monetary gain during a season solely due to its history with F1. Furthermore, Ferrari engines have amassed a record 813 podiums and 244 wins for the engine manufacturer in the history of Formula 1.

Ferrari engine in Ferrari's 2019 chassis (via Scuderia Ferrari).
Ferrari engine in Ferrari’s 2019 chassis (via Scuderia Ferrari).

The Scuderia is known for its most dominant stint with Michael Schumacher in the 2000s with a historic run. Interestingly, only two races have been won by a customer Ferrari team in F1. The 2008 Italian GP won by a young Sebastian Vettel for Toro Rosso. The same race was won 12 years later by Pierre Gasly for the Faenza-based team, albeit under the AlphaTauri name.

Ferrari tops the most amount of constructors’ titles ever in the history of Formula 1 with an impressive total of 16 titles under their belt. The first championship for the team was recorded back in 1961 and the latest victory for the team was way back in 2008. Hence, Ferrari hasn’t won a championship in the past 16 years.

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