HONDA The Power of Dreams

The Honda RA108 (powered by the RA808E) was Honda’s F1 car for 2008.

Honda’s third F1 era, which moved to a a full-factory team with its own chassis and engine in 2006, launched a new project “Earthdreams” in 2007. With the understanding of its sponsors, sponsors’ colors and logos were removed, and the cars were painted in earth colors to resemble the earth. This was a wonderful plan to symbolize the importance of pressing environmental issues and Honda’s sincere attitude to find solutions, and to expand the number of supporters, including fans, on a global scale.

Earthdream was continued in 2008, but the RA108 was introduced in a fresh, white-based livery, unlike the black-based livery of the previous year’s RA107.

In 2006, its first year as a full factory team, Honda Racing F1 Team (HRF1) achieved the first win in Honda’s third F1 era. However, 2007 was a year of extreme pain, and the team’s single win in 2006, unlike many of its victories in its second F1 era, was not achieved with dominating speed and strength, but was due in large part to the team’s development. The team was taking on ambitious challenges in many areas, not just Earthdream. However, challenges are sometimes accompanied by failure. Unfortunately, the RA107’s performance did not live up to expectations, and Honda finished eighth in the constructors’ standings in 2007. Jenson Button, who had won his first race the previous year, finished a 15th in the series with a best finish of fifth, and for the first time in his F1 career, Rubens Barrichello did not score any points for the year (points were awarded to the top 8).

For 2008, Honda invited Ross Brawn to join the team. Brawn, a famous technical director who contributed greatly to building Michael Schumacher's golden era at Benetton and Ferrari, was the last person needed at HRF1, which was in the midst of a reorganization that had begun in 2006. Although he was not available at the time to participate in basic development of the RA108, Brawn was brought in with the expectation of building a truly winning team in the medium to long term (Jorg Zander and Shuhei Nakamoto were instrumental in the development of the RA108).

In 2008, Button and Barrichello continued to drive for HRF1, with Alexander Wurz replacing Christian Klien as test and reserve driver. The previous year’s poor performance was partly due to the fact that Honda, which had been using Michelin tires until 2006, was having difficulties coping with the change to Bridgestone (BS) tires as F1’s sole supplier. Results were expected to improve as teams became accustomed to Bridgestone tires, but HRF1 continued to struggle in 2008.

Development was all about aerodynamics, as engine development was frozen by regulations. The RA108 was also brushed up with the introduction of the “Dumbo wing” on the nose tip and the use of the trendy shark fin (dorsal fin). However, the aerodynamic concept, which had undergone a major change in direction with the previous year’s RA107, did not lead to improvements, and the gap between BAR Honda’s cars and the top teams remained unbridgeable. However, the Honda’s aggressive approach to the development of the new car required more time to refine than expected. Challenges always come with risks: Honda had become a full factory team, and had demonstrated the boldness typical of Honda, but it backfired this time.

In modern F1, where the overall finish rate is astonishingly high, qualifying well is mandatory as it is extremely difficult to gain positions in the race. In the 2008 season, up to Round 8, Barrichello had finished sixth and seventh once, and Button had finished sixth once, which was better than the previous year, but Honda was still in a difficult situation.

In the midst of all this, Barrichello finished third in Round 9, the British GP. This was the team’s first podium finish in more than 18 months, and it came in a rain-drenched race. In other words, the team was able to achieve this good result in an environment in which the competitiveness of the car was less important, and driving skill and the team strategy determined the outcome. For the team, this was not a podium finish that they could be proud of.

For Barrichello, however, in his third year with the team, this was his first podium for Honda since his Ferrari days in 2005. It was also a great performance by the veteran driver, and the team was delighted to have him on the podium. During 2008, Barrichello broke Riccardo Patrese’s record for the most official F1 race appearances (256), and later became the first driver in history to extend that record to over 300 races (as of 2013).

A podium finish, in any form, is a podium, and Honda hoped that Barrichello’s third-place finish at Silverstone would be a boost for the second half of the season. But, the RA108 failed to finish in the top 8 for the rest of the season. HRF1 was ninth in the 2008 constructors’ championship. In the previous year, Honda had finished eighth, but this was partly because the top-ranked McLaren team had been disqualified. It was actually ninth, meaning that it was unable to break out of that position for two years. Barrichello and Button finished 14th and 18th in drivers’ standings, respectively.

The 2007 and 2008 Japanese GPs were held at Fuji Speedway, and even there, the RA108 was unable to perform well for the Honda fans in its home country. The second half of the 2008 season was extremely bad.

However, in a sense, the dismal performance in the second half of the season was “calculated” as well. The following year, 2009, saw a major change in technical regulations, particularly with aerodynamics. Brawn had shifted its development resources to focus on the 2009 car.

Unfortunately, due to the global economic downturn caused by the financial crisis in the fall of 2008, Honda had no choice but to end its third F1 era after the 2008 season. In other words, the RA109 that Brawn had prepared would not race under the Honda name.

Many were aware that the former HRF1 team in the U.K., including Brawn, was reborn as a new team called Brawn GP, which competed in 2009 and won both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles (Button claimed the drivers’ title with six wins, Barrichello finished third in the series with two wins, and the team won the constructors’ title). Of course, to say that their BGP001 was “the car that should have been the RA109” is not necessarily accurate, including the fact that it was powered by a Mercedes engine. The RA108 was indeed a disaster. However, the seeds of a comeback were definitely planted.

Although there is no direct link to the RA108 or the former HRF1, Honda’s “never give up” attitude and challenging spirit that has continued since the first F1 era in the 1960s will surely be inherited by the new McLaren Honda, and will be a valuable source of knowhow on the road to the pinnacle that was not reached in its third F1 era.