The Origins of Lamborghini’s F1 Engine Program
The Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini has a storied history in motorsports. However, few people know about their brief foray into Formula 1 as an engine supplier in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Lamborghini’s interest in entering Formula One grew in the mid-1980s after the company was purchased by Chrysler Corporation. With abundant financial resources and engineering talent at their disposal, Lamborghini set up a division in 1988 specifically to develop the Lamborghini F1 engine.
The timing aligned well with FIA’s decision to ban turbocharged engines in Formula One starting in 1989. This created an opportunity for new naturally aspirated engines to compete on a more level playing field against long-time suppliers like Ferrari, Renault, Honda and Ford.
Led by former Ferrari engineer Mauro Forghieri, Lamborghini designed and built a bespoke 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V12 engine from the ground up. Dubbed the Lamborghini LE3512, it featured a 80 degree vee angle, four valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts.
Debut with Larrousse Team
When the 3512 engine debuted at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix powering the Larrousse team’s Lola chassis, it immediately gained attention for its unique screaming sound. The high revving V12 produced around 600 horsepower in its initial configuration.
Lamborghini intentionally partnered with one of the smaller teams on the grid in Larrousse. They did not feel the still-developing 3512 engine would be capable of powering a front-running car just yet. But the goal was to steadily improve performance and potentially supply engines to top teams down the road.
Early Results Full of Promise and Frustration
The first season with Larrousse in 1989 provided flashes of promise but was ultimately very frustrating. The team failed to qualify for numerous races, but scored their first point with a 6th place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Driver Philippe Alliot qualified an impressive 5th at the same race in Jerez, showing the engine’s raw speed. But reliability issues frequently sidelined the cars before the checkered flag.
Still, the 3512’s unique sound and power delivery attracted positive attention. Hopes were high that with further development, Lamborghini could produce a competitive and reliable F1 engine.
Expanding Supply Deals to More Teams
In 1990, Lamborghini expanded their F1 efforts significantly by agreeing to supply engines to the legendary Lotus team in addition to continuing with Larrousse.
The highlight came at Suzuka when Larrousse driver Aguri Suzuki finished 3rd at his home Japanese Grand Prix, giving the Lamborghini F1 engine manufacturers their first and only podium finish.
But once again, poor reliability severely limited results for both teams. Nonetheless, power output increased to around 640 HP and Lamborghini engines scored points with both Lotus and Larrousse over the course of the season.
A Factory Lamborghini F1 Team
Buoyed by scoring points with multiple teams, Lamborghini made their biggest commitment yet in 1991 – entering their own factory-backed team under the Modena name. Joining Modena on the grid would be French team Ligier, also powered by Lamborghini F1 engines.
But disaster struck almost immediately. The underfunded Modena team with its Lambo V12 struggled badly, failing to qualify for nearly every race. Ligier fared marginally better but only managed a pair of 7th place finishes all season.
After this debacle, Lamborghini pulled the plug on Modena but continued supplying smaller teams Minardi and Larrousse in 1992. Results were minimal once again though, just a single point scored by each team.
Final Attempt with McLaren
Entering 1993, Lamborghini made one last effort to prove their Formula One worth by negotiating a test agreement with McLaren. The team facilitated an extensive test at Silverstone and Estoril for Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen to evaluate the 3512 V12.
Power output now reached over 700 HP in qualifying trim. Both Senna and Häkkinen were greatly impressed with the engine’s power delivery characteristics. They substantially outperformed McLaren’s 1993 race car which was down on power running a Ford V8.
Senna aggressively pushed to race with the Lamborghini V12, certain that it could produce wins despite lingering reliability woes. But McLaren ultimately declined, citing commercial reasons and pre-existing contract obligations.
So after the 1993 season, Lamborghini withdrew from Formula One entirely to focus on road car production. Over 5 seasons from 1989-1993, their engines scored just 1 podium and 20 total points.
Why Lamborghini’s F1 Engine Failed
Lamborghini certainly tried just about everything during their Formula One engine program. They started small, gradually increased commitment year after year, then even ran their own team. The engines showed flashes of promise coupled with inadequate reliability.
Ultimately, a few key factors conspired to doom their F1 efforts:
- Constant management changes and strategic shifts at Chrysler undermined long-term planning and investment.
- Developing an F1 engine was massively complicated, requiring substantial resources that were never fully committed.
- Inability to persuade a truly top team like Williams or McLaren to partner with them full-time.
Some insiders argue that with stability in ownership, adequate funding and an alignment with a leading team, results could have been vastly improved. But circumstances conspired against the Italian manufacturer succeeding on the world’s biggest racing stage.
Lamborghini approach focused too much on the raw power, and not enough on the reliability. In many cases, the full potential of the engine was not used by the teams, due to the lacks in mechanical grip or problems with oversteer, but the same power overload caused the engine to be unreliable. Some say that this approach to Lamborghini F1 engines was brought by Jeremy Clarkson, shouting “POWERRRRRRRR”, but it’s all just a rumor….
Legacy of the Lamborghini F1 Engine
Despite the frustrations, Lamborghini deserves credit for punching above their weight class by attempting Formula One engine development against huge manufacturers like Renault and Ford.
Their engines earns respect for producing provocative sounds and showing flashes of real potential. We can only speculate if a proper budget and strategic plan could have produced race wins in the right chassis.
Today, the Lamborghini name remains legendary in the automotive world for outrageous production supercars. But they also carved out a tiny niche in Formula One lore with their screaming V12 engines that almost brought success before disappearing all too rapidly.
Lamborghini F1 Engines FAQ
When did Lamborghini supply F1 engines?
Lamborghini supplied Formula One engines from 1989 through 1993. Their V12 debuted with the Larrousse team and continued expanding to Lotus, Ligier, Modena Team, and Minardi before disappearance from the sport.
How many teams used Lamborghini F1 engines?
Over five seasons in Formula One from 1989-1993, a total of six different teams raced cars powered by Lamborghini engines at various times. They were Larrousse, Lotus, Ligier, Modena Team (a Lamborghini factory effort), Minardi and a one-off McLaren test car.
What was the most successful Lamborghini-powered F1 car?
The highlight result for a Lamborghini F1 engine came at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix when Aguri Suzuki finished 3rd position for Larrousse. This gave the engine its one and only podium finish during its entire F1 campaign spanning 1989-1993.
Why did Lamborghini stop supplying F1 engines?
After five frustrating seasons scoring minimal points and no race wins despite flashes of promise, Lamborghini withdrew from Formula One after 1993 to retrench around road car manufacturing. Budget pressures from ownership changes and the extreme complexity of F1 engine development ultimately proved too steep of a challenge.