HONDA The Power of Dreams

Honda, which announced the end of its F1 activities after the 2021 season, introduced the newly developed RA621H power unit (PU), determined to win the championship. Dubbed the “new frame” (“new skeleton” in Japan), this PU was almost completely new down to the component level, achieving significant performance gains. However, developed and manufactured in an extremely short timeframe, the season began with concerns about its reliability.

Such concerns were soon dispelled with strong performances right from the season opener by Max Verstappen, who took pole position in Bahrain and led early in the race. Although he dropped positions during a tire change, Verstappen reclaimed the lead. Victory seemed secured, but he relinquished the position due to exceeding track limits during an overtake maneuver, and finished the race a close second. In Round 2, the Emilia Romagna GP, Verstappen dominated the difficult wet conditions to claim his first win of the season. He then took second place in the next two races, steadily accumulating points. The winner of the season opener, as well as races three and four, was his biggest rival, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull Honda and Verstappen demonstrated they could compete on equal terms, while also being reminded of his formidable competitiveness.

This season also saw Yuki Tsunoda make his F1 debut with AlphaTauri. As a Honda-raised driver, he gained experience and results in FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2, and ascending to Formula 1 as the first full-time Japanese F1 driver in many years. In his debut race in Round 1, Tsunoda finished ninth, raising expectations for his future performance.

Honda viewed Round 5, Monaco, as a pivotal point in the first half of the season. Beyond the superstition that whoever wins Monaco wins the season, Honda believed victory here was absolutely essential to seize control of the season’s momentum, especially given Hamilton’s three wins versus Verstappen’s single win over the previous four races.

Verstappen, who had yet to win at Monaco, tackled the sessions with alacrity aiming for his first victory there. But an unexpected challenger emerged. In Monaco, where starting positions hold critical importance, it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a local hero, who outpaced Verstappen in the battle for pole. During Q3, Leclerc crashed while attempting to set a new fastest lap, ending the session under a red flag and cementing his pole position. Drivers whose second attempts were ruined voiced their frustration, but the order remained unchanged. However, Leclerc’s car had sustained damage, with gearbox damage seeming particularly severe. Ferrari avoided a grid penalty by not replacing the gearbox, but trouble struck just before the race start as Leclerc was heading to the grid, forcing him to withdraw. The race began without the pole-sitter.

Starting from what was effectively pole position, Verstappen delivered a rock-solid race to claim his first Monaco GP victory. This win moved him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings. Furthermore, Sergio Pérez, who joined the team this season, finished fourth, placing Red Bull at the top of the Constructors’ Championship as well. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly finished sixth, while Tsunoda, making his Monaco debut, was sixteenth.

As Honda had hoped, this victory dramatically shifted the season’s momentum. Red Bull Honda went on to achieve five consecutive wins, significantly strengthening its chances of winning the title.

Red Bull Honda seemed to have seized the momentum of the season with five consecutive wins. However, the tide once again turned in Round 10, the British GP, when Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided while battling for the lead. Verstappen retired, while Hamilton took the win. Their hopes of entering the summer break with an advantage were dashed when both Red Bull Honda cars were caught up in a multiple-car crash immediately after the start of Round 11, Hungary. Mercedes and Hamilton reclaimed the top positions in both championships following this race.

After the summer break, there was no clear advantage to Mercedes not Red Bull. Verstappen took back-to-back victories at the rain-shortened Round 12 in Belgium and his home round in the Netherlands. Mercedes then won Round 15 in Russia and Round 17 in Turkeye. In Round 18, the US GP, Verstappen defied predictions of Mercedes domination to win, with Sergio Pérez finishing third to secure significant points.

Round 19 held significance for Honda. Mexico City was where Honda achieved its first F1 victory, and racing at high altitude had remained one of its strengths.

The battle for pole position remained neck-and-neck between Red Bull Honda and Mercedes right up to qualifying. However, an incident in Q3 handed the front row to Mercedes. This was an unexpected result for Red Bull Honda, which occupied the second row. However, it successfully regained the advantage during the race, as Verstappen overtook both Mercedes cars from the outside at the very first turn. Later, when Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas retired due to an accident, Pérez moved up to third.

Hamilton tried to reclaim the lead, but the gap to Verstappen gradually widened. The Mercedes driver found himself struggling just to keep Perez behind him as the race progressed. Even after the pit stops for tires, the order remained unchanged. Verstappen took the checkered flag more than 16 seconds ahead of Hamilton, while Perez closed the gap to just over a second to finish third. For Pérez, it was a welcome podium finish at his home Grand Prix. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly took fourth place, giving Honda-powered cars a 1-3-4 finish, reaffirming Mexico’s status as a circuit where Honda excels.

This victory was Verstappen’s ninth of the season, setting a new record for the most wins by a Honda-powered driver in a single year. In the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen extended his lead over Hamilton to 19 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Honda closed the gap to just one point behind Mercedes, building momentum heading toward the season finale.

With the Mexican GP concluded, four races remained in the season. While Max Verstappen’s title win seemed all but certain, Lewis Hamilton fought back with a victory in Round 19, Brazil despite starting from a 24-place grid penalty, then won again in Qatar, closing the gap to Verstappen to just 8 points. In Round 21, Saudi Arabia, a fierce battle unfolded between the Verstappen and Hamilton. On Lap 37, Verstappen attempted to yield his position after cutting a turn, but contact occurred with Hamilton, who was being let through. Despite sustaining damage, Hamilton held onto the lead, forcing Verstappen to settle for second place. This result left both drivers tied on championship points, postponing the title crown to the final race.

For Honda, Abu Dhabi, the final race of its fourth F1 era, was a tense battle for the title. Verstappen took pole position, with Hamilton second, placing both contenders on the front row. The race started amid an unusual tension enveloping the entire circuit. Hamilton made a strong start to take the lead, with Verstappen close behind. However, as the race progressed, Hamilton, on medium tires, gained the upper hand over Verstappen on soft tires, and steadily extended his lead. Both drivers switched to hard tires for their second stint, but Hamilton maintained the margin he had built in the first half, leaving Verstappen with no viable options.

After the top two cars pitted, Sergio Perez took the lead. Hamilton soon caught up to Perez, but the Brazilian blocked Hamilton with dogged determination, assisting his teammate Verstappen. This intense duel allowed Verstappen to significantly close the gap to Hamilton. Fans were moved by the sight of Red Bull united in their pursuit of the title.

As the race entered its final stage, Hamilton seemed to solidify his advantage, appearing certain to secure back-to-back wins. But there was one last twist of fate.

As soon as a crash invoked the safety car, Verstappen darted into the pits, changing to soft tires, and returned to the track in second place. Hamilton, forced to stay out, led on worn hard tires. Verstappen, chasing, was on fresh soft tires and had a clear speed advantage. The controversial restart came with only one lap remaining. Verstappen passed Hamilton on the final lap with a huge speed advantage and took the checkered flag. It was the moment Verstappen became champion for the first time and Honda achieved its long-awaited title.

The circuit fell momentarily silent at the dramatic conclusion, but was soon filled with cheers. After a season of fierce, grueling battles that lasted until the very last lap, it was Verstappen who claimed the crown. Red Bull Honda finished second in the Constructors’ Championship, but Honda ended its final year triumphantly.