HONDA The Power of Dreams

1991 marked the last year of glory for Senna and Honda. From this year Honda pursued its ambition as an engine maker and introduced the V12 engine (RA121E), which adopted a variable intake system to achieve the ideal power band. The V12 engine was 5.5 kg lighter than the V10, weighing 154 kg, and was said to deliver 735 bhp, a 55 bhp increase in horsepower.

The basic design concept of the MP4/6 powered by the new V12 engine was unchanged from the MP4, the first ever carbon monocoque car, designed by John Bernard in 1980. The MP4 was a revolutionary chassis by the technical standards of the time. This is evident in the fact that teams have since adopted carbon monocoques. The MP4 series continued to evolve and develop as Bernard was succeeded by Steve Nicholls and Neil Oatley, but the characteristic convex mold-formed monocoque, conservative suspension geometry, aero, and other features were inherited, and McLaren’s chassis began to be left behind.

Senna first drove the MP4/6 during the Estoril tests, just before the season opener (until then, his colleague Gerhard Berger had been testing the provisional MP4/5C, an old car, with the new V12 engine). When Senna got into the new car early after the break, he suddenly complained about the lack of power and demanded more horsepower.

The biggest characteristic of the MP4/6 was the departure from the pull-rod front suspension, which had been the hallmark of the MP4 series, to a push-rod system. This improved chassis rigidity and aerodynamics. Three versions of the front suspension were introduced throughout the season. Version 1 had rods extending from the left and right bell cranks, each connected independently to the anti-roll bar. Version 2 activated the anti-roll bar via a bar connecting the left and right rods (as a derivative of this version, a device was also developed to allow the driver to adjust ride height while driving). Version 3 eliminated the anti-roll bar by connecting bell cranks on each side differing in shape, controlling roll by connecting the left and right suspension. The overall appearance of the MP4/5B was larger than that of the MP4/5B, due to the increase in capacity of the fuel tank and other components accommodating the move from V10 to V12. The wheelbase was 40mm longer than that of the MP4/5B, and the rounded side pontoons were reminiscent of the Ferrari 641/2.

The MP4/6 won the first four rounds of the season (a new record at the time), despite Senna’s complaints. However, Senna continued to be vocal about his issues with the car, and that Williams Renault would pose a threat in the future. After the first four rounds, Senna was leading the series with 40 points over Ferrari’s Prost with 11. Nobody took Senna’s words seriously, as Williams had a string of retirements due reliability issues. But, after the Monaco Grand Prix, things changed dramatically: just as Senna had predicted, Williams overcame their problems.

From Round 5 in Canada to Round 9 in Germany, Senna was unable to win a race or even claim pole position, which was until then his “reserved spot.” By the time summer arrived, the MP4/6 was no longer a match for the Williams. The lack of grip made handling inconsistent, and not only Senna, but Berger as well, struggled to keep their cars on the track. The engine continued to lack power, and when Senna saw a Japanese TV camera, he he would plead to Honda, “More power!”

In the tests following the German GP, McLaren prepared the team’s first semi-automatic car (two types) for Senna. He praised the car saying, “The semi-automatics make driving incredibly easy. I cannot go back to a manual.” A week later in the Hungary GP, McLaren brought a compressed-air semi-automatic, different from the systems already in use by Ferrari and Williams, for a test drive, but a spin in Friday’s free practice left the team with no other option than to revert to the manual gearbox. Since then, the MP4/6 was never fitted with a semi-automatic transmission. Not all was lost at Hungary though, as McLaren’s fortunes changed there. It was just after the company’s founder Soichiro Honda had passed, and a new engine had been introduced. In response, Shell had developed fuel tailored to the engine. McLaren also introduced a lightweight chassis. These changes resulted in McLaren winning Hungary and Belgium, somehow stemming the tide that was leaning toward Mansell and Williams.

Williams fought back in Italy, Portugal, and Spain, but it was not a complete disaster for McLaren like the early European rounds. In addition, McLaren's technical department then worked on the chassis. Just prior the Japanese GP, a new chassis with an extended nose tip was introduced. This dramatically improved the aerodynamic performance, and McLaren won the Suzuka race. Senna and Berger completely dominated, resulting in Senna being crowned for the third time. However, MP4 series’ magic, the most powerful of all, had ended. In the final round in Australia, the shortest in F1 history due to torrential rain, McLaren took all the podium spots in a 1-3 finish to clinch the constructors’ and drivers’ titles for the fourth consecutive season. Behind the scenes, Williams had a car with active suspension on standby as its T-car (spare car), although it was never used. McLaren, which had established an era of domination in the late 80s and early 90s, lost Honda the following year, and two years later, Senna left. McLaren entered a long drought of 49 races without a win. When Senna renewed his contract with McLaren for 1992, he said, “I have great respect for the Japanese. I understand their unspoken feelings," affirming that Honda was a major reason he renewed the contract. All three of Senna’s titles were won with Honda engines, and all of these titles were decided at Suzuka.