NEW F1 RACE CAR, NEW CONCEPT
BUT ONE THING REMAINS…
Petaling Jaya, 30 March 2007 – Honda Racing F1 Team on Monday 26th February unveiled a radical new approach to Formula One. Honda’s new race car for 2007’s season was revealed at a ceremony in London’s Natural History Museum.
Honda took on the challenge of rewriting the rule book in terms of sponsorship and communication, while drawing attention to one of the greatest challenges facing the world – climate change and environmental responsibility. Honda’s 2007 challenger, the RA107 will feature a giant image of Earth. Having always been a pioneer, Honda is once again proving itself as a forward-thinking company that never shies away either from technical challenges or from its corporate responsibilities. Now Honda is leading the way on these two core challenges in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship.
The car this year carries no corporate colours, no advertising and no sponsor logos, bucking decades-long F1 sponsorship trend. However, one thing remains the same since 1964 at Honda’s first participation in Formula One. That one thing is the prominent red Honda logo, or better known as the “Red H” badge. The Red H carries with it, the rich racing heritage of Honda’s involvement in motorsports. The Red H has a story to tell. Captured in the Red H is the essence of Honda’s philosophy of dreams and realising dreams by overcoming challenges. As the man behind it all, Mr. Soichiro Honda once said, “Without racing, there is no Honda.”
It all started in 1959 when Mr Soichiro Honda decided to enter Honda motorcycles in the Isle of Man TT races despite still being a small company at that time. That bold decision was an influential moment in the company’s history. It not only raised awareness of the company throughout the world, but was also a clear demonstration of the Challenging Spirit that has now become Honda’s DNA.
Honda’s first entry into Formula One came in 1964 with the RA271 engine, just after Honda’s first automobile production in 1962. Honda entered three races, finishing none of them. Honda’s development team goes back to the drawing board to redesign a new car for the following season – motivated by the challenging spirit and determination to succeed.
One year after Honda’s first participation in Formula One, driver Richie Ginther took Honda to its first ever Formula 1 victory on October 24, 1965 at the Mexico Grand Prix. That car bore the “Red H” badge.
Honda has never looked back ever since. Honda’s first and second generations of Formula One participation (from 1964-1968, and 1983-1992) yielded no fewer than 72 Grand Prix wins, five consecutive Drivers' World Championships and six consecutive Constructors' World Championships. Honda achieved this impressive track record as both an engine supplier and as a complete team in its own right.
And now, 42 years on, Mr Soichiro Honda’s dreams and philosophies lives on. Honda gave birth to the NSX-R (“R” for “racing”) in 1990 which was designed mainly to focus on race conditions which emphasizes on minimizing weight and maximizing performance potential to establish a new concept in sports car value. The NSX Type R was very track oriented as it lacked sound deadening, audio, electric windows and air conditioning in an effort to reduce weight for better performance and a new approach to speed.
Being a company that society wants to exist is a philosophy Honda embedded into the company. As a result, Honda has always striven to be a company that pioneers many automotive developments and manufacturers products. As Mr. Soichiro Honda once said, “Without racing, there is no Honda”. Racing and motor sports is in the core of Honda’s DNA. It is Honda’s reason to exist”.
All said and done, it is still the spirit to challenge themselves in continuously enhancing their technology and engineering skills while competing against the world’s best that keeps Honda involved in motorsports. Honda views its participation in motorsports as the ultimate proving ground for its high-tech products and R&D in engine development. This would eventually translate into technologically advanced and cutting edge products for consumers worldwide, living out Honda’s philosophy of creating products that ease people’s lives and achieve customer satisfaction.
Honda will be sharing its rich heritage in motorsports with Malaysians through the launch of a motorsports webpage on the 2nd April 2007. Please log on to Honda Malaysia to find out more about Honda’s “Reasons to Exist”!
BUT ONE THING REMAINS…
Petaling Jaya, 30 March 2007 – Honda Racing F1 Team on Monday 26th February unveiled a radical new approach to Formula One. Honda’s new race car for 2007’s season was revealed at a ceremony in London’s Natural History Museum.
Honda took on the challenge of rewriting the rule book in terms of sponsorship and communication, while drawing attention to one of the greatest challenges facing the world – climate change and environmental responsibility. Honda’s 2007 challenger, the RA107 will feature a giant image of Earth. Having always been a pioneer, Honda is once again proving itself as a forward-thinking company that never shies away either from technical challenges or from its corporate responsibilities. Now Honda is leading the way on these two core challenges in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship.
The car this year carries no corporate colours, no advertising and no sponsor logos, bucking decades-long F1 sponsorship trend. However, one thing remains the same since 1964 at Honda’s first participation in Formula One. That one thing is the prominent red Honda logo, or better known as the “Red H” badge. The Red H carries with it, the rich racing heritage of Honda’s involvement in motorsports. The Red H has a story to tell. Captured in the Red H is the essence of Honda’s philosophy of dreams and realising dreams by overcoming challenges. As the man behind it all, Mr. Soichiro Honda once said, “Without racing, there is no Honda.”
It all started in 1959 when Mr Soichiro Honda decided to enter Honda motorcycles in the Isle of Man TT races despite still being a small company at that time. That bold decision was an influential moment in the company’s history. It not only raised awareness of the company throughout the world, but was also a clear demonstration of the Challenging Spirit that has now become Honda’s DNA.
Honda’s first entry into Formula One came in 1964 with the RA271 engine, just after Honda’s first automobile production in 1962. Honda entered three races, finishing none of them. Honda’s development team goes back to the drawing board to redesign a new car for the following season – motivated by the challenging spirit and determination to succeed.
One year after Honda’s first participation in Formula One, driver Richie Ginther took Honda to its first ever Formula 1 victory on October 24, 1965 at the Mexico Grand Prix. That car bore the “Red H” badge.
Honda has never looked back ever since. Honda’s first and second generations of Formula One participation (from 1964-1968, and 1983-1992) yielded no fewer than 72 Grand Prix wins, five consecutive Drivers' World Championships and six consecutive Constructors' World Championships. Honda achieved this impressive track record as both an engine supplier and as a complete team in its own right.
And now, 42 years on, Mr Soichiro Honda’s dreams and philosophies lives on. Honda gave birth to the NSX-R (“R” for “racing”) in 1990 which was designed mainly to focus on race conditions which emphasizes on minimizing weight and maximizing performance potential to establish a new concept in sports car value. The NSX Type R was very track oriented as it lacked sound deadening, audio, electric windows and air conditioning in an effort to reduce weight for better performance and a new approach to speed.
Being a company that society wants to exist is a philosophy Honda embedded into the company. As a result, Honda has always striven to be a company that pioneers many automotive developments and manufacturers products. As Mr. Soichiro Honda once said, “Without racing, there is no Honda”. Racing and motor sports is in the core of Honda’s DNA. It is Honda’s reason to exist”.
All said and done, it is still the spirit to challenge themselves in continuously enhancing their technology and engineering skills while competing against the world’s best that keeps Honda involved in motorsports. Honda views its participation in motorsports as the ultimate proving ground for its high-tech products and R&D in engine development. This would eventually translate into technologically advanced and cutting edge products for consumers worldwide, living out Honda’s philosophy of creating products that ease people’s lives and achieve customer satisfaction.
Honda will be sharing its rich heritage in motorsports with Malaysians through the launch of a motorsports webpage on the 2nd April 2007. Please log on to Honda Malaysia to find out more about Honda’s “Reasons to Exist”!
