The high RPM and turbocharging are the main reasons. For the same displacement, an engine running twice as fast can theoretically generate twice as much horsepo

The high RPM and turbocharging are the main reasons. For the same displacement, an engine running twice as fast can theoretically generate twice as much horsepower. Likewise, an engine pressurized at 3 bar can produce three times more power. In reality, there are losses due to greater friction at higher RPM. Also, compressing air heats it up. If the air is too hot, it can cause the fuel to detonate prematurely. Still, the gains are impressive. The root reason for the massive difference in performance is that F1 engines have a very different set of constraints. Performance is favored over almost everything else. The budget is astronomical. The engines don't have to be optimized for mass production. They only have to run on a very specific blend of fuel. They don't have to pass emissions tests. They only have to last a few thousand miles, and it's fine if they require crazy amounts of monitoring and maintenance. A narrow power band is acceptable. And of course, they can fail in dangerous ways. A side note: production engines can still generate ridiculous power in small displacement, but manufacturers usually don't have a reason to optimize for that. In the late 80s, Japan passed a law restricting beginner motorcycle riders to 250cc bikes. Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha all built the most ridiculous 250cc sportbikes they could engineer. Some revved up to 19,000 RPM and produced over 50 horsepower[1]. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR250 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR250