HONDA The Power of Dreams

The RA272 raced in the 1965 F1 World Championship, and was Honda’s second car in its first F1 era, following the RA271.It was powered by the same 1500 cc 12-cylinder engine as the RA271, but with improvements made to various parts of the car to increase its competitiveness, and by the end of the season, the introduction of a development model among other improvements made it as fast as its rivals. As a result, Richie Ginther won the Mexican GP, bringing Honda and Goodyear tires a memorable first F1 victory in Honda’s 11th grand prix.

In the 1964 season, the RA271 raced only three times, each ending with problems. Since engine regulations would be changed in 1966 to increase the engine displacement to 3000cc, Honda’s policy was to improve the RA271 instead of developing a new model in 1965. The development items considered included reducing the car’s weight, which was 75 kg heavier than the specified minimum weight (450 kg), improving reliability, changing the layout of auxiliary components, and increasing engine output. In addition to Ronnie Bucknum, Richie Ginther, who had excellent development capabilities, joined the team making it a two-car team.

The RA271E engine, which already produced 220ps - the highest output of any Grand Prix engine - at the time the RA271 debuted in 1964, underwent structural material changes and was reborn as the lighter RA272E. Honda used this engine from Round 2, Monaco to Round 6, the Netherlands, and further enhanced the engine, which could arguably be called the RA272 Rev., in Rounds 8, Italy through 10, the final round in Mexico. In the first half of the season, the early engine lacked reliability, with Ginther only managing two 6th place finishes while retiring in all other races. The revised engine, however, proved more dependable with only one retirement by Bucknam in Italy. Then came the season finale in Mexico, with Yoshio Nakamura returning as team manager. Nakamura, a former aircraft engineer, had the car set up for high altitude (low-pressure) conditions. Starting from third on the grid, Ginther took control of the race and eventually crossed the line in the lead, giving Honda its first victory. Nakamura’s telegram to the Honda headquarters in Tokyo read, “I came, I saw, I won!” which became one of the most famous telegrams in the history of Japanese motorsports.

The RA272 inherited its frame structure from the RA271, and was in effect an improved and refined 1965 model, being lighter, more maintainable, and easier to set up. However, there were not many common parts. The suspension system has been changed, and the tread has been widened in both the front and rear.

The RA272 had weight and dynamic performance issues. Although the engine’s output was superior, it was not fully exploited on the track. Honda made the monocoque lighter by using more light-alloy materials, reuducing weight by 27 kg.The fairing was more aerodynamically refined. The engine’s weight, however, remained an issue. Its design, producing maximum power at 11,500-12,000 rpm, was based on technology accumulated through motorcycle racing. Although the assembled crankshaft and all-rolling bearing mounts were characteristic of Honda’s high-revving, high-output engines, suitable for compact air-cooled motorcycle engines, they were problematically large and heavy for liquid-cooled V12s.

Despite the aerodynamic refinement of the RA272, it was handicapped by its weight and was unable to gain satisfactory results. To address the issue midway through the season, the engine’s crankshaft angle was doubled from 12.5 degrees to 25 degrees, and its mounting position was lowered by 100 mm, which were major modifications. The result was the RA272 Rev., introduced in the Italian GP in September. Its main improvements were better cooling and a lower center of gravity for better maneuverability. The nose opening was also lowered and the front monocoque was newly redesigned. Around the rear, the engine was mounted at a forward angle, the exhaust pipes were routed along the sides, and the rear space frame was accordingly redesigned. The tail fairing was eliminated with redesigned rear-end side fairings, and the engine cover was also newly designed. The resulting RA272 Rev. raced in the final three rounds, proving itself with a win in its final race in Mexico.