Credit: Cosworth DFV F1 V8 engine in a Tyrrell 008, photographed by John Chapman (Pyrope), licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Credit: Cosworth DFV F1 V8 engine in a Tyrrell 008, photographed by John Chapman (Pyrope), licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. – Wikimedia Commons
Remember Cosworth? Not many fans remember it but it is one of the most famous names in F1, mainly because of its legendary DFV engine.
Introduced in 1967, the DFV, which stands for Double Four Valve, completely changed the sport in the 60s.
It was not just strong and reliable, it was also available to smaller and private teams, that meant even independent teams could compete with the big factory squads, something that was almost unheard of before.
For more than ten years, cars with Cosworth engines were everywhere, winning races and helping drivers reach the top.
One of the most iconic wins was James Hunt driving for Hesketh Team with a Cosworth engine at the 1975 Dutch GP.
The rise of the DFV engine
Engine; it was a 3.0-litre V8 with four valves per cylinder and it was lighter and well-structured, designed by Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin.
The engine produced more than 400HP at the time, this made cars faster and more agile on track, but what really set it apart was that it was available to many teams, not just the major manufacturers.
Private teams could buy a DFV and race at a high level without huge budgets, Peter Connew who built his own car in his small garage to compete in F1, used Cosworth engine in 1972.
However, this changed F1, making races more competitive and exciting because the outcome was not just decided by which team had the most money.
Six-year dominance in F1
1968 to 1974; Cosworth engines were almost unbeatable, many teams won the championships during those years powered by a Cosworth engine.
Interesting fact: Jim Clark won the Dutch GP in 1967, Cosworth won in its debut race in F1.
Teams like McLaren, Lotus, Tyrrell, Williams, used the DFV engines – winning races and championships, DFV engine allowed even smaller teams to compete with the big teams in Formula 1.
During this period, Cosworth was dominant, winning hundreds of races and many drivers and constructors championships.
In the mid-1970s things started to change, Ferrari won the 1975 championship, then again DFV engine used by McLaren team, the battle between Ferrari and DFV-powered teams continued until BMW claimed their first F1 championship in 1983.
Facing challenges
By the late 1970s Renault introduced a turbocharged engine, produced far more power than the naturally aspirated DFV, but at first it was not reliable, in early ’80s other teams were forced to develop their own turbo engines to stay competitive.
Cosworth did attempt to create turbo engines as well, but competing against well-funded manufacturer teams proved extremely difficult. The DFV, once unmatched, gradually started to fall behind.
At the same time, F1 was getting more expensive, Cosworth, as a smaller independent company, couldn’t match the financial power of manufacturers like Ferrari, BMW, or Porsche.
Staying competitive became very costly, which made it hard to continue at the front of the grid.
Financial pressure and changing focus
Another problem came from shifts in corporate priorities, Ford, which had funded the DFV for marketing purposes, gradually reduced its involvement in F1, later owners of Cosworth also focused more on other projects, such as road car engines, leaving F1 development with fewer resources.
Rising costs, and less support eventually made it very hard for Cosworth to keep competing at the top.
Decline and withdrawal
By the mid-1980s, Cosworth dominance had ended, turbo engines, higher costs and the growth of manufacturer-backed teams changed the sport.
While Cosworth remained in F1 in smaller roles, it no longer had the influence it once did, they won again the title with Benetton in 1994, Michael Schumacher’s first championship in F1.
Later, with the introduction of the hybrid V6 engines in 2014, the technological and financial demands became even higher, making it almost impossible for a small company like Cosworth to compete without major backing.
Cosworth in F1
Even after leaving full-time F1, Cosworth left a huge mark, the DFV engine changed the sport by letting more teams compete at a high level.
Smaller teams could take on the big teams and fans got to watch more unpredictable, exciting races.
The DFV engine won races and championships, and it reshaped F1 by making competition more open.
