The BRM V12 engine is a V12 Formula One racing engine, designed, developed and built by British manufacturer and constructor BRM, between 1967 and 1977.

Background

The H16 was replaced by a V12 (2.9375 x 2.25 in, 74.61 x 57.15 mm) designed by Geoff Johnson. It had been intended for sports car use, but was first used in F1 by the McLaren M5A. Back at the works, the early V12 years were lean ones. In the two-valve layout gave about at 9,000 rpm. In 1968 this had increased to at 9,750 rpm. Geoff Johnson updated the design by adding a four-valve head, based on the H16 485 bhp 4-valve layout; this improved the V12's power output to at 10,500 rpm and eventually to a claimed during 1969. In 1973, Louis Stanley claimed at 11,750 rpm. The design and building of the first V-12 chassis, the P126 was contracted to former Lotus and Eagle designer Len Terry's Transatlantic Automotive Consultants. The cars first appeared during the 1968 Tasman Championship, powered by 2.5 litre versions of the engine, temporary team driver Bruce McLaren winning the fourth round of the series at Teretonga but being generally unimpressed with the car. BRM themselves built further examples of the Terry design, which were designated P133 and 1968 team drivers Mike Spence and Pedro Rodríguez appeared competitive in early season non championship races at Brands Hatch and Silverstone, but then Spence was killed driving the Lotus 56 turbine during qualifying at Indianapolis. Spence's replacement, Richard Attwood, finished a good second to Graham Hill's Lotus at Monaco, but after this results went downhill and the season petered out ignominiously. For 1969 the four valve per cylinder engine was developed and a new slimline car, the P139 was built. John Surtees joined as the team's lead driver backed up by Jack Oliver. Rodríguez was shunted into the semi-works Parnell team. Surtees' time at BRM was not a happy one and, despite the fact that a ground effect "wing car" was designed, this was never constructed and the team's performances were lacklustre. Surtees left after a single season (1969), along with Tony Rudd who went to Lotus (initially on the road-car side), and Geoff Johnson who departed for Austin Morris.

The team regrouped with Tony Southgate as designer and Rodríguez brought back into the fold to partner Oliver, and gained its first V12 victory when Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix in a P153, with further victories for Jo Siffert and Peter Gethin in 1971 in the P160. The team had reached one of its intermittent peaks of success. Both Siffert and Rodríguez were killed before the 1972 season and the team had to regroup completely again. Their last World Championship victory came when Jean-Pierre Beltoise drove a stunning race to win the rain-affected 1972 Monaco Grand Prix with the P160. He also won the non-championship 1972 World Championship Victory Race later in the year. The campaign was generally chaotic: having acquired major sponsorship, Louis Stanley originally planned to field up to six cars (three for established drivers, three for paying journeymen and young drivers) of varying designs including P153s, P160s and P180s and actually ran up to five for a mix of paying and paid drivers until it became obvious that it was completely overstretched and the team's sponsors insisted that the team should cut back to a more reasonable level and only three cars were run in 1973 for Beltoise, Lauda, and Regazzoni.

Formula One World Championship results (key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine(s) Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Points Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M5A BRM P101 3.0 V12 RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX 10th 3 Bruce McLaren 7 Ret Ret Ret Owen Racing Organisation BRM P126 BRM P133 BRM P138 BRM P101 3.0 V12 RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 28 5th Pedro Rodríguez Ret Ret Ret 2 3 Ret 6 Ret 3 Ret 4 Richard Attwood Ret 7 7 Ret 14 Bobby Unser DNS Ret Reg Parnell Racing BRM P126 BRM P101 3.0 V12 Piers Courage Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 8 8 4 Ret Ret Ret Bernard White Racing BRM P261 BRM P101 3.0 V12 Frank Gardner DNQ Cooper Car Company Cooper T86B BRM P101 3.0 V12 Ludovico Scarfiotti 4 4 14 7th Brian Redman 3 Ret Vic Elford 4 Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret 8 Johnny Servoz-Gavin Ret Robin Widdows Ret DNA Lucien Bianchi 3 6 Ret Ret NC NC Ret Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M5A BRM P101 3.0 V12 Denny Hulme 5 10th 3 Joakim Bonnier Racing Team McLaren M5A BRM P101 3.0 V12 Joakim Bonnier DNQ Ret 8 Ret 6 Ret NC PO Owen Racing Organisation BRM P138BRM P133BRM P139 BRM P101 3.0 V12BRM P142 3.0 V12 RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 7 6th Jackie Oliver 7 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 John Surtees Ret 5 Ret 9 Ret DNS NC Ret 3 Ret Bill Brack NC George Eaton Ret Ret Reg Parnell Racing BRM P126 BRM P101 3.0 V12 Pedro Rodríguez Ret Ret Ret Owen Racing Organisation Yardley Team BRM BRM P153BRM P139 BRM P142 3.0 V12 RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA MEX 23 7th Pedro Rodríguez 9 Ret 6 1 10 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 4 2 6 Jackie Oliver Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret NC Ret 7 George Eaton Ret DNQ DNQ Ret 12 Ret 11 Ret 10 Ret Peter Westbury DNQ Yardley Team BRM BRM P153BRM P160 BRM P142 3.0 V12 RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 36 2nd Jo Siffert Ret Ret Ret 6 4 9 DSQ 9 9 2 Howden Ganley Ret 10 DNQ 7 10 8 Ret Ret 5 DNS 4 Pedro Rodríguez Ret 4 9 2 Ret Vic Elford 11 Peter Gethin 10 1 14 9 Helmut Marko 11 Ret 12 13 John Cannon 14 Marlboro BRM BRM P160BBRM P153BRM P180BRM P160C BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG RSA ESP MON BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 14 7th Reine Wisell Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Howden Ganley 9 NC Ret Ret 8 DNS 4 6 11 10 Ret Helmut Marko 10 14 8 10 Ret Peter Gethin Ret NC Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 13 6 Ret Ret Alex Soler-Roig Ret Ret Jean-Pierre Beltoise Ret Ret Ret 15 11 9 8 8 Ret Ret Vern Schuppan DNS Jackie Oliver Ret Bill Brack Ret Brian Redman Ret Marlboro BRM BRM P160CBRM P160D BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR NED GER AUT ITA CAN USA 12 7th Clay Regazzoni 6 Ret 9 10 Ret 9 12 7 8 Ret 6 Ret 8 Niki Lauda Ret 8 Ret Ret 5 Ret 13 9 12 Ret Ret DNS Ret Ret Ret Jean-Pierre Beltoise Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 11 Ret 5 Ret 5 13 4 9 Peter Gethin Ret Team BRM BRM P160EBRM P201 BRM P142 3.0 V12BRM P200 3.0 V12 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 10 7th Jean-Pierre Beltoise 5 10 2 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 10 12 Ret Ret Ret NC DNQ François Migault Ret 16 15 Ret 16 Ret Ret 14 NC DNQ Ret Henri Pescarolo 9 14 18 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret Chris Amon NC 9 Stanley-BRM BRM P201 BRM P200 3.0 V12 ARG BRA RSA ESP MON BEL SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA 0 -' Mike Wilds Ret Ret Bob Evans 15 Ret DNQ 9 13 Ret 17 Ret Ret Stanley-BRM BRM P201B BRM P200 3.0 V12 BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA JPN 0 -' Ian Ashley Ret Rotary Watches Stanley-BRMStanley-BRM BRM P207BRM P201B BRM P202 3.0 V12BRM P200 3.0 V12 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN 0 -' Larry Perkins Ret 15 Conny Andersson DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ Guy Edwards DNPQ Teddy Pilette DNQ DNQ DNQ

References