Ferrari's identity as both constructor and engine manufacturer is inseparable from the vision of its founder Enzo Ferrari. When the Tipo 125 appeared in 1948 it was powered by a Ferrari-built twelve-cylinder engine, and that tradition of self-sufficiency in engine design has defined the company ever since. Ferrari entered the Formula One World Championship from its very first round in 1950, making it the only team to have competed in every season of the championship.
Ferrari's engine programs have tracked the regulatory shifts that have defined Formula One history. Through the 1950s and into the 1960s, Ferrari relied on front-engined naturally aspirated designs before transitioning to rear-engined configurations. The 1.5-litre formula of 1961 brought Ferrari's flat-twelve and V6 units to prominence, with Phil Hill winning the Drivers' Championship that year. John Surtees took the 1964 title in a Ferrari 158 powered by a V8 unit.
During the 3-litre naturally aspirated era from 1966, Ferrari fielded V12 engines — a configuration the company used persistently and defended against regulatory changes. When the FIA discussed altering technical regulations in the 1980s, Enzo Ferrari negotiated directly with the governing body, securing a commitment to retain V12 eligibility as a condition of continuing Ferrari's presence in the sport.
The turbo era of the 1980s saw Ferrari develop its own turbocharged V6, which powered the team and was not supplied to customer teams during this period. After turbos were banned at the end of 1988, Ferrari returned to naturally aspirated V12 engines for the 3.5-litre formula. The V10 era brought a shift in architecture, and with the 2.4-litre V8 formula introduced in 2006 Ferrari again adapted. The 2014 introduction of 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 hybrid power units — with both MGU-K and MGU-H energy recovery systems — required a fundamental redesign; Ferrari's initial hybrid units lagged behind Mercedes, though competitiveness improved through subsequent seasons.
Ferrari has supplied engines to customer teams throughout its history, particularly from the 1990s onward. Customer relationships have included Minardi in 1991, Scuderia Italia in 1992 and 1993, and Sauber from 1997 to 2005 with engines badged as Petronas, and again from 2010 to 2025. Further customers have included Prost in 2001 (badged as Acer), Red Bull Racing in 2006, Spyker in 2007, Scuderia Toro Rosso between 2007 and 2013 and again in 2016, Force India in 2008, and Marussia in 2014 and 2015.
For the 2026 season, Ferrari supplies the Haas F1 Team and the newly entered Cadillac Formula One team. Cadillac signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari for engines and gearboxes in December 2024, covering the period until General Motors' own power unit division develops a Formula One-ready power unit.
As an engine supplier to its own works team, Ferrari's power units have been fundamental to each of the team's 16 Constructors' Championships and 15 Drivers' Championships. Nine drivers have won the Drivers' title in Ferrari-engined cars — Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Michael Schumacher, and Kimi Räikkönen. Räikkönen's championship in 2007 and Ferrari's most recent Constructors' title in 2008 remain the team's most recent successes.
Ferrari-powered customer teams have also scored championship points and occasional victories across numerous seasons, most notably through the long Sauber supply relationship that produced points and podiums consistently over more than a decade.
Ferrari's role as a perpetual participant in Formula One — fielding both chassis and engine simultaneously across more than seven decades — has no parallel in the sport. The decision to retain full in-house engine manufacture, rather than outsourcing to a specialist supplier, has been both a source of competitive identity and, at times, a constraint when rival manufacturers have outpaced Ferrari's development pace during key regulation changes. As the 2026 power unit regulations introduced further electrification, Ferrari continued to field its own power units while expanding its customer supply to include a new American entrant.