Why Honda Are Kings of Worst F1 Timing

Exiting after winning the title is not the first odd Honda Formula 1 call.

So, as it always seems to do, Honda has its timing absolutely wrong as it heads out of Formula 1 for the fourth time clutching its newly won seventh world title! Looked at in any way, the brand’s Grand Prix involvement seems a comedy of errors. Its perennial comings and goings are blessed with the oddest of timing coincidences. Honda-Tech looks back at this phenomenon, considers the weekend’s success, and ponders what will happen next!

Verstappen is Honda’s Seventh World Champion

Of course the championship remains in the balance with Mercedes now appealing the FIA’s handling of the last lap debacle that allowed Red Bull Honda’s Max Verstappen (above) to steal a most controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix win from Lewis Hamilton. But forget about all that for now, as it stands, Verstappen has just won Honda’s sixth world championship. And its first since Ayrton Senna last won it in 1991. Yes, that’s 30 years ago!

It’s a spectacular story at that, so let’s take a look at the top Formula 1 moments in Honda’s incredible flirtation with the sport.

Honda arrived in F1 with incredible technology. Early-‘60s F1 demanded 1,500 cc engines, which did not stop Honda from building a V12! The RA271 had its tiny V12 transversely mounted, in total defiance to well established north-south F1 norms. The company’s quaint approach did not stop there — it signed unknown American club racer Ronnie Bucknum and thrust him straight into F1. Why? So as not to attract unnecessary attention!

Ginther won Honda’s First Grand Prix

Bucknum finished 13th on Honda’s ’64 German GP debut before retiring from his next two starts. So, satisfied with its first toe in the F1 water, Honda signed another American, Richie Ginther to join Bucknum in a pair of new RA272s for 1965. Ginther scored Honda’s maiden F1 points in Belgium and Germany, but the team struggled to come to terms with is complex machine. Until Ginther won the Mexican Grand Prix (above) with Bucknum sixth!

There were big changes coming for ’65, so it was back to the drawing board as Honda stayed away until six races into the 3-liter Formula. Ginther only returned aboard the all-new RE273 alongside Bucknum as they developed their new engine. 1964 F1 and multiple motorcycle world champion John Surtees then joined the team from Ferrari, as its sole driver for ’67. Surtees promptly put the RE273 onto the podium first time out in South Africa.

The Englishman went on to win the Italian Grand Prix aboard the brand new RE300 (below), but 1968 would prove a trying year for Honda, with a couple of podiums for the troublesome RA301. Then Jo Schlesser died when his magnesium-rich experimental Honda RA302 crashed, exploded and burned uncontrollably. Honda fled the sport shortly after, citing US road car sales difficulties for its exit.

Surtees Wins Again, But Honda Exits

Fifteen years later, Honda returned to Formula 1 as an engine supplier in the in the turbo 1500 era. Its RA163E V6s initially powered Spirit in 1983, before Honda shifted that supply to Williams later that season. Keke Rosberg was second in Williams-Honda’s second-ever race in Brazil in ’84 and won in Dallas midseason. Rosberg and Jacques Laffite went on to see Honda to sixth in that year’s constructor’s title.

Rosberg and Nigel Mansell then won two races apiece including the final three rounds in ’85 as the latest RE165E V6 helped Williams to third in that year’s constructor’s title. Nelson Piquet then joined Mansell in the RE166E-powered Williams Honda for 1986 (below) and they won nine of the 16 races between them, to clinch Honda’s first F1 world constructors championship.

For 1987, Honda added Lotus to its latest RE167E engine supply alongside Williams. In an incredible season, Williams won Honda’s second makers title on the trot with Lotus third. While Piquet, Mansell and Lotus rising star Ayrton Senna also delivered a driver’s title clean sweep. But Williams moved on and Honda shifted over to McLaren with Senna and Alain Prost at the wheel.

‘Honda’s First World Championships’ next…

Michele Lupini

Once a handy engine and chassis tuner, and a combative racer and rally driver, Michele took up the pen to express his passion for cars, racing and motoring over 30 years ago. He published South Africa’s go-to enthusiast motor magazines Cars in Action and Bakkie — some say against all odds — for a quarter century. In that time, Michele had a hand in nurturing many of South Africa's motoring media leaders. Today Michele keeps himself busy with his a range of international motoring media duties alongside his own theauto.page. And a little racing on the side.