Honda in Formula One

The Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda has participated in Formula One, as an engine manufacturer and team owner, for various periods since 1964. Honda's involvement in Formula One began as a full team and engine entry in the 1964 season, and in 1965 they achieved their first victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. After further success with John Surtees, Honda withdrew at the end of the 1968 season due to difficulties selling road cars in the United States and Honda driver Jo Schlesser's fatal accident.

Honda
Full nameHonda Racing F1 Team (2006–2008)
Honda R & D Company
(1964–1968)
Base
Noted staffYoshio Nakamura
Nobuhiko Kawamoto
Yoshitoshi Sakurai
Osamu Goto
Takeo Kiuchi
Ross Brawn
Nick Fry
Toyoharu Tanabe
Masashi Yamamoto
Yasuaki Asaki
Noted drivers Ronnie Bucknum
Richie Ginther
Jo Schlesser
John Surtees
Jenson Button
Rubens Barrichello
Websitehonda.racing/f1
Previous nameBritish American Racing
Next nameBrawn GP Formula One Team
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1964 German Grand Prix
Races entered88
EnginesHonda
Constructors'
Championships
0
Drivers'
Championships
0
Race victories3
Podiums9
Points154
Pole positions2
Fastest laps2
Final entry2008 Brazilian Grand Prix
Honda as a Formula One engine manufacturer
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1964 German Grand Prix
Last entry2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Races entered482 (481 starts)
ChassisHonda, Spirit, Williams, Lotus, McLaren, Tyrrell, BAR, Jordan, Super Aguri, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, AlphaTauri
Constructors' Championships6 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
Drivers'
Championships
6 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2021)
Race victories89
Podiums223
Points3409
Pole positions90
Fastest laps76

Honda returned in 1983 as an engine manufacturer, which started a very successful period for the company. After winning races in 1984 and 1985, Honda won the Constructors' Championship every year between 1986 and 1991 with Williams and McLaren, and the Drivers' Championship every year from 1987 to 1991 with Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Honda withdrew at the end of 1992 after having achieved their targets and suffering the burst of the Japanese asset price bubble.

Honda returned again in 2000, providing engines for British American Racing (BAR). BAR-Honda finished second in the Constructors' Championship in 2004, and by the end of 2005 Honda had bought out the BAR team, which was rebranded as Honda for 2006. After winning in 2006 with Jenson Button at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Honda announced in December 2008 that they would be exiting Formula One with immediate effect due to the global financial crisis, following limited success across 2007 and 2008.

In 2015, Honda returned to the sport as a works power unit supplier to McLaren. The first iterations of the Honda power units proved to be uncompetitive, and McLaren and Honda split after three years. Toro Rosso agreed to use Honda engines for the 2018 season as a works outfit, and after Honda showed fast development with the engines, Red Bull Racing agreed to also take on Honda engines for the 2019 season. Honda achieved their first victory of the hybrid era at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, and numerous wins followed thereafter with both teams. The programme culminated in the 2021 season, when Honda-powered driver Max Verstappen won the World Championship. The company officially withdrew from the series after 2021 to focus its resources on carbon neutral technologies, although an arrangement was made for them to continue supplying the Red Bull teams until the end of 2025, with the Honda-built engines winning further titles in 2022. They will make a full-scale return in 2026 with Aston Martin as their works partner, enticed by the introduction of more sustainable regulations.

As an engine manufacturer, Honda has won six World Constructors' Championships, six World Drivers' Championships and over 80 Grands Prix, ranking fifth in Formula One history. In addition to their success as an engine manufacturer, their three Grand Prix wins as a team owner make them the only Japanese or Asian team to win in Formula One.

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