Cosworth – Wikipedia

The Cosworth It is a British company specialized in the development and production of high -performance automotive engines, in particular for the competition. Cosworth has in fact produced for Ford the engine Ford-Cosworth DFV (the longest -lived engine in the history of Formula 1) which dominated Formula 1 between 1967 and the beginning of the eighties (155 victories), and was then present in the series up to 2006, to reappear from 2010 until 2013 .

Originally founded in 1958 by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth (hence the name), he crossed several reorganizations and changes of ownership, in addition to the preferential relationship with the Ford that has marketed most of its projects, often with its own brand. The United Engineering Industries (UEI) purchased the company in 1980 and then sold it to the Carlton Communications in 1988; A subsequent acquisition by Vickers in 1990 then brought it to the Volkswagen group in 1998.

Volkswagen was not interested in the sports division ( Cosworth Racing Limited ) which was therefore sold to the Ford for which the division mainly worked. There Cosworth Technology Limited Instead, which deals with development powertrain On commission and whose patented method of aluminum merger is used by several houses including Audi and Aston Martin, it would then have been sold by Volkswagen to the Mahle group in December 2004 by changing its name in Mahle Powertrain .

In September 2004 Ford announced that Cosworth Racing was on sale, together with the F1 Jaguar Racing team and the Pi Group. On November 15, 2004, the purchase by Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven, owners of the Champ Car series for which Cosworth was a supplier of the engines through the subsidiary was finalized Cosworth Inc. based in Torrance in California. On this occasion, Cosworth Racing resumed Cosworth’s original name.

The Cosworth began the production of competition engines in 1959 by changing an engine Ford Kent for the junior formula. Cosworth’s collaboration with Lotus started from this engine, which was brought to 1340 cm³ on Lotus 7 , to continue with 1500 cc and 1600 cc engines for use in Formula B and on Sport cars as well as for the model Lotus Cortina . The final evolution of the Cosworth-Kent in 1965 was the It is Following the introduction of new rules for Formula 3 that allowed 1000 cc engines: the result was the complete domain of the series until the rules changed, so much so that Cosworth was unable to satisfy the demand and Mae engines were sold in assembly box. The Mae also participated in the Great Britain Grand Prix in 1964 on a Cooper.

The year before it had been developed SCA , a 1000 cc engine based a Ford Cortina 116e monobloc that had raced in Formula 2, and which saw the first tested designed internally by Cosworth. The Cortina engine was also the base for the Fva , an engine for the 1600 cc rules of the F2 introduced from 1966: this engine also dominated its category until 1971, and was used with the name FVC in the 1800 cc version for sports competitions. Also for the FVA there was a short appearance in F1 in 1967 and 1968 mounted on the Matra.

Ford-Cosworth DFV [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

On behalf of the Ford and the owner of the Lotus Colin Chapman, in 1966 Costin and Duckworth joined two four -cylinder engines Fva In a single V8 engine, creating the DFV ( Double Four Valves , or “double four valves”, where “double” refers to the fact that they were two newspapers derived from the FVA) and “four valves” evidently to the number of cylinder valves) which would have become legendary in formula 1. These are the basic characteristics of the first Cosworth DFV: 8 V -cylinders of 90 °, 2993 cm³, head valves inclined by 32 ° and initial power of over 400 HP at 9000 rpm/minute. It was a simple, robust and very powerful engine; In fact, he already won in his first race, the 1967 Holland Grand Prix, mounted on the Lotus 49 by Jim Clark. Starting from 1968 he was available to each manufacturer who wanted to buy it. This gave birth to the F1 of the seventies in which most of the teams built its car around a Ford-Cosworth DFV and a Hewland gearbox (Enzo Ferrari defined them for this “assemblters”) having then free hand on chassis and mechanics. The final result was 155 wins in great prizes until 1983, in addition to the 1975 and 1980 editions of the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Over the years, the DFV has generated a series of derivations that also in the name bear the sign of the original engine: in 1968 the DFW for Tasman Series 2500 cm³, while in 1975 with the addition of two turbochargers to a 2650 cc version the Dfx Used by the Indycar which would become the standard engine until the late eighties, sparkling the offenhauser; In 1981 the DFL For sports cars with a displacement of 3300 cc and 3900 cc, and the DFV itself was evolved, reducing the race and other improvements, in DFY In 1982 to try to beat, without success, the new supercharged F1 engines: the displacement went from 2993 cm³ to 2990 cm³, the rotation regime exceeded 11000 rpm/minute and the power reached 530 horsepower. The DFY won only once, to Detroit with Michele Alboreto on Tyrrell in 1983.

While Formula 1 was transformed into a series for supercharged engines only in 1986, the birth of Formula 3000 gave new life to the DFV which, according to the regulation of the category, ran with a laps limiter that prevented from exceeding 9000 rpm, minute, reducing the power to about 450 horsepower against over 500 originals. This format of the F3000 lasted until 1992, while the DFV finds its raison d’etre in the races of Classic Formula 1 .

With the abandonment by the F1 of the supercharged engines and the return to the aspirated, this time of 3500 cc, Cosworth created a new model on the basis of the DFV, first in an intermediate version known as DFZ (1987) and then in the final evolution of DFR (1989), with modified base and dimensions in reduced height that continued to be used by minor teams until 1992.

Formula 1 new generation [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The possibilities of the DFV is exhausted, Cosworth produced a new project for F1 still branded Ford; the engine HB (characterized by the V 75 degrees, by an estimated power between 615 and 630 horsepower and by rotation regime close to 11500 rpm) debut on Benetton during the 1989 season by winning the Japan Grand Prix at the end of the year. For the duration of the seasons 1989 and 1990, Benetton was the only one to have this engine, before the introduction of a “customers” version used in the following years by Jordan, Lotus and also McLaren who would have won 5 great prizes In 1993 with Ayrton Senna. The maximum evolution of the Ford HB (1993) came to exceed 700 horses at the incredible (for an 8 cylinder) regime of about 14000 rpm/minute.

In 1994 he made his debut Zetec-r (name derived from a series of Ford engines, not directly connected technologically connected) on the Benetton B194 single -seater which contributes to the victory of the first World Cup by Michael Schumacher’s pilots and in second place in the Championship Manufacturers for Benetton; Nonetheless, Benetton decides to spend the year following Renault engine and so Zetec will no longer be mounted on leading teams but only in the following years on Tyrrell or Minardi who will remark them Fondmetal , from the name of the sponsor.

In 1999 a new project of a 3000 cc V10 also sponsored by Ford, the new series CR mounted on the Stewart Grand Prix who obtained an inspected victory at the 1999 European Grand Prix with Johnny Herbert, before turning into Jaguar Racing under the direct control of Ford, who in the meantime had formally purchased the Cosworth: for the first time the house English was working as a real manufacturer with his own official team, but this situation would not last or would bring successes because the Ford would soon return to his steps by selling both the house of engines and the team .

Another equally random victory came to the Brazil Grand Prix 2003 with Giancarlo Fisichella at the wheel of a Jordan with a Ford branded. The VOCA of the V10 ends for Cosworth in the 2005 season with the TJ2005 model supplied to Red Bull Racing, heir of Jaguar, and Minardi.

Starting from the 2006 season, Cosworth no longer provides Red Bull but Williams with CA2006 , a newly concept V8 engine of 2400 cc as required by the regulations, and the Toro Rosso team (ex Minardi) with the 3000 cc TJ2005 limited in power, as per option.

Cosworth had also developed a 72 ° V10 for the Sauber team that was not used, however, and some items spoke of an interest in the Volvo for a version of this engine to be used in a production car with high performance.

Single engine supplier [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

In December 2008, Cosworth had won the announcement launched by the FIA ​​for the supply of the single engine in Formula 1 from the 2010 season. In reality the Federation left the manufacturers the opportunity to build the engine on its own following certain technical specifications. The Cosworth engine, transferred to reduced costs to those who did not intend to build the engine by themselves, should have favored the reduction of management costs ^[first] . The idea of ​​the Federation was, in some way, to retrace the DFV era when small manufacturers could also guarantee a competitive engine without large financial investments.

On June 12, 2009 the list from the Fia comprising the stables admitted to the 2010 championship was issued. The three new admitted, Manor Grand Prix, Campos Grand Prix and Team Us F1 indicated as their engine Cosworth ^{[2] [3]} .
Subsequently also Williams announced the agreement to mount Cosworth engines since 2010, ^[4] As well as the return Lotus. The engine was called CA2010 . ^[5] During the season the Cosworth engines obtained 69 points, all conquered by Williams.

On September 12, 2010 the end of the Lotus supply was announced. ^[6] In 2011 there were therefore only three stables that remedied the Cosworth engine (Williams, Hrt and Virgin). The points obtained were 5, still all by Williams. The following year Williams passed to Renault engines, ^[7] So only HRT and Marussia (new name of the Virgin) maintained the supply: in the season they did not march worldwide points.

In 2013, after the collection of the HRT, the only stable to use Cosworth engines was Marussia. At the end of the season, Cosworth decided to abandon Formula 1 and not to build the engines according to the new regulation, in force from the 2014 season, characterized by hybrid turbo engines. ^[8] This decision forced Marussia, the only user team of Cosworth engines in 2013, to find a new engine supplier; The agreement was closed with Ferrari. ^[9]

USAC/Champ Car [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

One of the longest and most successful projects for Cosworth was the supply of engines for the American series USAC American Championship Car Racing It is CART , now Champ car. Starting from the seventies on the basis of the Formula 1 DFV V8 the Dfx Adapted to the 2650 cm³ American formula with turbocharger. The engine, developed first by the Parnelli Jones team for the 1976 season and later with the direct involvement of Cosworth, was an immediate success and just as for the DFV it became the reference standard ^[ten] until he ended up supplanted by new technologies; In the meantime, an modernized version had appeared, the DFS , transferring part of the experiences developed to the F1 DFR.

Subsequently Cosworth designed a new one X series Starting with the XB in 1992 to continue with the XF , made in 2000 and chosen in 2003 as a single engine for the Champ Car Championship.

Cosworth also received the task of planning a 2300 cc four -cylinder for the Atlantic formula. ^[11]

Rally [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

Also as a partner of Ford, Cosworth prepared for the rally: in the eighties the Ford RS200 Group B he mounted a Cosworth Bdt-e , and subsequently 2000 cm³ supercharged engines have been used to date on Ford Sierra Cosworth , Ford Escort RS Cosworth It is Ford Focus WRC who participated in the Rally World Championship.

Sport-Prototipi [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

DFV engines and DFL evolutions (in a long race version) of 3,300 cm³ and 3,900 cm³ were also mounted on different prototypes sports and for a long time used in endurance races. The victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans in the 1975 edition on Gulf-Mirage chassis and in 1980 with Rondeau and the domain of the Spice Engineering cars in category C2 in the late 1980s are

But the most important success remains the victory in the 1991 SportPrototype World Championship with the Jaguar XJR-14 who win both the manufacturers and the pilot title with Teo Fabi paired with the Scottish Derek Warwick. The engine was the HB itself mounted on F1 Benetton.

Cosworth has developed used engines in various cars of the General Motors group, including the Chevrolet vega , the Opel assona and the Opel Calibra V6 . The company also collaborated with Mercedes-Benz ( 190 16V ), Rolls-Royce, Aro, Audi and with the Alfa Romeo in the early nineties by creating the heads of the V6 engine of the 155 V6 TI DTM.

Cosworth tried to create an entire Formula 1 car for the 1969 World Championship, on a project by Robin Herd, characterized by a 4 -wheel drive transmission made on its own (as well as naturally to the DFV engine, in a version of magnesium). He was supposed to compete at the Great Britain Grand Prix but the project was canceled without further ads and Herd left the company to found the March.

In addition to providing competition cars, Cosworth has also designed road cars engines such as Ford Sierra Cosworth, Ford Escort Cosworth, Audi RS4.