HONDA The Power of Dreams

40th Anniversary of Honda's First F1 Title

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Honda's first Constructors'
title in the FIA Formula One World Championship™,
won in 1986. In Honda's F1 history,
this first championship title became a major milestone that symbolized the company's challenging spirit.

Twenty-five years after stepping away from its first era in Formula 1®,
Honda returned to the pinnacle of motorsport with
a renewed determination to compete.
Its partner was Williams,
a team that had only begun competing full-time in
F1 in 1978 but had already established itself as a force in the sport,
claiming back-to-back Constructors’ Championships in 1980 and 1981.
Recognizing the limitations of customer-supplied engines,
Williams placed its hopes in Honda’s works power unit program.

Honda initially faced a steep learning curve in the turbocharged era,
as F1 engine development pushed relentlessly toward ever-greater power outputs.
Technical challenges and reliability issues were frequent.
Although Williams Honda secured its first victory at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix,
the season was marked by numerous retirements and setbacks.
The breakthrough came with the introduction of the newly developed RA165E engine,
commonly known as the “E-spec.” Introduced midway through the season,
the E-spec dramatically improved the competitiveness of Williams Honda and laid the foundation for the success that would define Honda’s second F1 era.

That foundation bore fruit in 1986,
when Williams Honda claimed nine victories and secured the Constructors’ Championship.
For Honda,
it was the long-awaited achievement of an F1 title and the realization of founder Soichiro Honda’s dream.
Following the title-clinching Portuguese Grand Prix,
Yoshitoshi Sakurai,
who led Honda’s Formula 1® program at the time,
wrote in the team’s race report: “I can’t wait to see the look on Soichiro Honda’s face.”