India hosted its
first GP during 2011, and it was regrettable that the Japanese team did not participate.
The two
manufacturing companies TOYOTA and HONDA that represent Japan were driven into
the economic situation deterioration that can be traced to the Leeman shock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_Brothers), and along with the deterioration in
earnings of these companies led to the withdrawal of F1 race.
Between the year
2002 and 2009, TOYOTA gradually increased the F1 entry acquisition point and contestants
ranking. It was very regrettable that it withdrew from the race in the year
2010 when the overall victory was very much within reach. It would have surely
won the championship if it had participated for one more year.
HONDA entry period
was in 3 stages
1st:
1964~1968
2nd:
1983~1992
3rd: 2000~2008
Stage I
1964: At first, it
was scheduled to enter as the engine supplier to Lotus, but it was cancelled by
Lotus just before the start. The entry was decided as it immediately developed
the chassis in-house.
1965: The long
cherished first victory came in the 10th Mexican GP.
1967: World
champion John Surtees joined in 1964. It reached the victory stand once
for 1st place, and once and twice for 3rd place, and
acquired 20 points. That was the best year during the 1st stage.
1968: The French
GO started in the rain, and the car went into a spin in the 2nd lap
of the final race, the machine dashed out of the course, and blew up intensely.
The driver who had been left in the machine that blazed up was burnt to death.
After this accident, it was whispered that Honda
will withdraw from F1, and finally after the completion of 1968 season it announced
the stop of F1 action.
Stage II
1983: It made a
comeback to F1 in the form of supplying the engine to the spirit racing team,
and started to supply the engine to Williams from the final race of South
African grand prix.
1984: It had the
first victory after the comeback in the 9th American GP.
1986: Acquisition
of constructor’s title
1987: Nelson
piquet acquires the driver’s title.
1988: McLaren
Honda wins 15 out of 16 races.
At that time,
Honda’s engine was the most efficient. From the fact that the constructor’s
title was acquired for 6 times and driver’s was acquired for 5 times by the car
equipped with the Honda engine, it was said that without the Honda engine it
will not be possible to aim for the overall championships.
The Honda engine
got a total of 69 victories just between 1983~1992, and it reigned as a
powerful engine supplier and is unprecedented in the history of F1.
Afterwards, the
second stage F1 activity ended in 1992 due to the weak sales of the new car of
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
 |
| Stage II – Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, McLaren HONDA team staff |
Stage III
2000: It made a
comeback to F1 in the form of engine supply and joint development of the body
to B.A.R.
It supplied engine
to Jordan in 2001 and 2002.
The 3rd
stage was different from the 2nd stage, and it spent several seasons
without getting any results.
2004: It climbed
the victory stand 11 times, and progressed to the 2nd rank in constructor’s
ranking. However, it did not reached victory in the beginning of the 3rd
season.
2005: It got a
late start as it was not able to fully reflect the machine design due to the
influence of first regulation change. It ended with the 6th rank in
constructor’s ranking.
2006: Acquired
100% stocks of B.A.R.
For the first time
in 38 years, it participated as pure Honda works team.
It splendidly won
the championship in the 13th Hungarian GP, and accomplished the first
victory as the 3rd stage participant.
.jpg) |
| Stage III –Jenson Button at his victory (B.A.R. Honda team) |
2007: The low fighting power of the machine was
exposed.
It was at 'No point' till the 7th race after
the game start, and the result did not make progress. It was a worst recession period
of the team’s history.
2008: The policy
of withdrawal from F1 was announced.
The performance deterioration due to the finance
crisis that can be traced to Leeman shock was the reason for withdrawal.The maintenance burden of the racing team
might press the management of Honda.
However, recently
Honda has admitted that it is examining the F1 comeback matching the timing of
change to the 1.6 liter turbocharged engine from 2014. In that case, it will be
the 4th stage of F1 curtain rising of Honda.
I wish to expect
an overwhelming turbocharged engine of the second stage by all means.
And, I strongly
wish that the machine to be in the number one center of the victory stand in
the Indian GP very soon, and expecting the same to happen soon.
 |
| Soichiro Honda (Honda founder) and Ayrton Senna |
 |
| Senna at the victory stand in Brazil GP |
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