HONDA The Power of Dreams

Ronnie Bucknum was Honda’s racing driver when it launched its first F1 campaign.

This 28-year-old American driver was behind the steering wheel of the RA271 for Honda’s historic F1 debut race: the 1964 German Grand Prix (Nürburgring). It was Bucknum’s first-ever F1 Grand Prix. Both Honda as a constructor team, and its driver, were complete newcomers.

This fresh package was, of course, Honda’s own creation.

Honda considered hiring an experienced driver, or, when approached by Team Lotus for Honda engines, it was even tempted by the prospect of having 1963 champion Jim Clark behind the wheel. Ultimately, however, it decided to partner with a rookie driver, learning and competing together in F1 from scratch. This reflected Honda’s strategic philosophy at the time to start small and grow big.

Furthermore, driven by its Sales Department’s desire to employ an American driver, American Honda selected Bucknum, who had been dominating sports car races on the American West Coast. At the time, Honda was pouring its efforts into developing the American market for its sports motorcycles, and this was a tactic to enhance its brand image in the US. This approach to driver selection was not unique to Honda; Ferrari and Porsche, selling sports cars in the American market, were also actively employing American drivers to expand their market presence.

As for whether Honda considered using a Japanese driver, it was a time when such ideas were outlandish. Not a single Japanese driver was competing in serious formula car racing, let alone F1, not even in F2 or F3.

Honda tested its technical capabilities during its debut F1 season in 1964. Once victory seemed within reach, it promptly adopted a two-car strategy for the following year, 1965.

The second driver to join the Honda team was 35-year-old Richie Ginther. Another American, Ginther had a five-year career behind him. He debuted in F1 with Ferrari in 1960 and stayed for two years before joining the BRM team for three years. While he had not won a race by this point, he had six second-place finishes and five third-places, ranking second in the Drivers’ Championship in 1963 and fourth in 1964. For the newcomer Honda, he was an impeccable driver with experience in car development.

This decision proved to be a masterstroke. At the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, the final race of the 1.5-liter era, Ginther and the Honda RA272 won. Ginther took the lead at the start of the race, and went on to win. It was Honda’s first F1 win, showcasing the car’s full potential.

In 1966, the dawn of the 3-liter era, Bucknum and Ginther continued to drive for Honda. However, struggling with the development of the 3-liter RA273 car, Honda could only participate in the final three races of the season.

In 1967, Honda overhauled its team structure in pursuit of the championship. It formed a partnership with British driver John Surtees, the only person in history to win both motorcycle and car world championships. Honda’s European base was also relocated from Amsterdam, the Netherlands—where it had been since the motorcycle Grand Prix era—to London, England, Surtees’ home turf. Honda opened a factory there to handle the design, development, assembly, and maintenance of its F1 cars, collaborating with Team Surtees and Lola Cars.

At 33 at the time, the level-headed Surtees transcended the role of driver to also produce Honda F1. Yoshio Nakamura, the Honda F1 team manager stationed in London, and Surtees became allies aiming for the championship, fostering a friendship and building a strong trust. Within this partnership, a new machine development structure emerged: engine development handled by Honda in Japan, chassis development conducted in London.

The first achievement of this new structure came with the Honda RA300’s victory in its debut at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. This marked Honda’s second win in its first F1 era.

Buoyed by this victory, Surtees and Nakamura developed the Honda RA301 aiming to win the 1968 championship. Meanwhile, Honda R&D in Japan, led by Soichiro Honda, forged ahead on a naturally-aspirated F1 route and developed the RA302. The chaotic 1968 season, featuring two distinct Honda F1 models, proved frustrating for Surtees. A string of unfortunate races meant he could only finish seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, far from the title. To make matters worse, Honda announced the withdrawal from F1 activities after that season, dashing the dreams of a future built alongside Honda.

In 1968, in addition to Surtees, three drivers competed in Honda F1 cars during the 1968 season, one race each. Joe Schlesser, a 40-year-old Frenchman, was selected to drive the Honda RA302 at the French Grand Prix. David Hobbs, a 29-year-old Briton recommended by Surtees, was chosen as the Honda F1 team’s number two driver and raced the RA301 at the Italian Grand Prix. Jo Bonnier, a wealthy 38-year-old Swedish driver, rented a spare RA301 for the final race, the Mexican Grand Prix, after crashing his own car. As it was the season finale, Honda readily agreed to the request from Bonnier, who was President of the F1 Drivers’ Association. In this race, Surtees retired, and Bonnier finished 5th. This marked the final points finish for Honda’s first F1 era.

These were the six drivers who drove for Honda in its first F1 era, a truly diverse and talented field in the 1960s F1 Grand Prix scene.