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Honda prepares for its 250th Formula One Grand-Prix

Fri 08-08 2003

When, later this month, Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button line up for the Hungarian Grand Prix, their presence on the grid will mark another significant landmark in Honda's remarkable motor sport pedigree. At the Hungaroring on Sunday 24 August, Honda will be celebrating its 250th Grand Prix start. It is a Formula One milestone that only three other manufacturers have achieved - Ford, Ferrari and Renault.

Honda first entered the sport in the summer of 1964. At the time the company had only just started selling automobiles but passionately believed that experience gained in the crucible of F1 would foster the kind of technical progress that would allow it to fulfil other, even greater ambitions. Initially Honda planned a joint project with Lotus but when the English side of the partnership withdrew at the last minute, the Japanese company's engineers rose to the enormous challenge of designing and building a complete racing car as well as forming their own Formula One team from scratch. Although the sport was less complicated in those days, it was still a daunting task.

The pioneering Honda RA271 was sent to Europe in July 1964 and, although the car had hardly turned a wheel in anger, Honda made its Formula One debut in the German Grand Prix during early August. The car's driver Ronnie Bucknum started from the back of the 22-car grid but he made the most of Honda's impressively powerful V12 engine during the opening laps. The American quickly moved through the field and was running inside the top ten when the new car succumbed to suspension failure - a legacy of the notorious Nürburgring's many jumps. Honda contested two further races later in the year and almost incredibly won its first Grand Prix during the following season.

At the beginning of 2003 Honda further consolidated its partnership with B*A*R, the team it re-entered F1 with in 2000, commencing an exclusive V10 engine supply deal and expanding its well established joint chassis development programme, almost doubling the number of Honda designers and engineers on long-term secondment at B·A·R's Brackley headquarters. The desire to win is as strong as ever and Honda is committed to the challenge of competing with the top three teams in F1.

Categorieën: Jacques Villeneuve

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