The transition to the V8 formula in 2006 was mandated by the FIA to reduce engine power. The regulations specified a 90° V-angle, a maximum capacity of 2.4 litres, and a minimum weight of 95 kg. To control costs and performance, the engines were required to have a circular bore of 98 mm, resulting in a 39.75 mm stroke. Each cylinder was limited to two inlet and two exhaust valves, and variable valve timing and variable-geometry intake systems were forbidden.
In 2006 and 2007, teams unable to acquire a V8 engine were permitted to use rev-limited V10 engines from the previous season. Scuderia Toro Rosso utilized this provision, running a Cosworth V10 following the takeover of the Minardi team.
Engine speeds reached over 20,000 rpm during the 2006 season. To curb escalating costs and speeds, the FIA implemented a mandatory 19,000 rpm rev limiter for all competitors in 2007. This limit was further reduced to 18,000 rpm in 2009.
A significant regulatory shift occurred in 2007 when engine specifications were frozen to reduce development expenditure. Manufacturers were required to use the engine designs from the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. While design changes were generally prohibited, the FIA allowed certain modifications intended to improve reliability. This led to "re-equalisations" of engine performance, as some manufacturers were perceived to have gained power through reliability-based updates.
The V8 era introduced Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) in 2009. These regenerative braking systems allowed teams to store energy as mechanical or electrical power, providing a boost of 81 hp. KERS was not universally used in 2010, but returned in 2011 and became nearly universal across the grid by 2013.
The quest for high-speed operation during this era relied on advances in metallurgy and design. Lighter pistons and connecting rods were developed to withstand accelerations reaching 9,700 G at top dead center. To manage the vibration problems inherent in high-revving piston engines, manufacturers utilized the "long conrod" concept, where the ratio of the stroke to the center-to-center conrod length was optimized to reduce secondary imbalance.
By the conclusion of the V8 era in 2013, engines typically produced between 700 and 800 hp, averaging around 750 hp at the 18,000 rpm limit. Reliability became a primary factor in championship outcomes, as drivers were limited to eight engines per season starting in 2009, with 10-place grid penalties applied for exceeding the allocation.
Engine manufacturers during this period included Cosworth, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Toyota. Judd also supplied engines to teams during this period )). While the high-revving V8 engines were technologically impressive, their design characteristics did not readily translate to improvements in fuel efficiency for production vehicles .
The V8 era ended following the 2013 season, replaced by the 1.6-litre V6 turbo-hybrid power units in 2014. The shift to the new formula was motivated by a desire for greater fuel efficiency and a broader focus on powertrain efficiency .