HONDA The Power of Dreams

The 2005 Goodwood Festival of Speed opened on Friday, June 24 at Goodwood in Sussex, England, with a parade attended by organizer Lord March and others. In front of the Goodwood House in the center of the venue, the largest monument in the festival’s history, a 50-meter-high display of Honda F1 cars, including the RA272 which won Honda’s first F1 grand prix in 1965, was on display and attracted much attention.

On the second day, Saturday the 25th, the most exciting event of the day was the time trial, in which a variety of Honda racing machines from the 1960s to the present day raced along the 1.16-mile (1.856 km) hill-climb course that runs through Goodwood’s vast grounds. The event was watched by a large crowd of fans. In the motorcycle category, Freddie Spencer and Mick Doohan rode the machines on which they won World Grand Prix (WGP) championships, and in the automobile category, John Surtees, who holds both racing bike and car world titles, and B-A-R Honda’s Takuma Sato, wowed the crowd driving both old and new F1 machines.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed was established in 1993 by Sir Charles March, who opened his vast private estate to the public, and has become one of the world’s largest historic motorsports events. Honda has been invited by Lord March since 1999, and has participated in the event for seven consecutive years. This year, Honda is also the first Japanese automaker to serve as the main sponsor of the event.

The racing machines, riders, and drivers participating today are:

Before I came here, I was in Rimini, Italy, where I also rode a Honda 5-cylinder. This is the second time this year. After this I will go to Belgium. The bike I will be riding, the RC149, is a 5-cylinder 125cc bike brought from Japan. Honda has been in the UK for 40 years now. I have come to the UK many times for TTs. Today I fondly remember riding the TT on a Honda.

Goodwood is a great event. You get to see riders you haven’t seen in a while and meet a lot of young people. You get to see new and old bikes and cars. So it’s a great event. I love the whole festival atmosphere.

First of all, I think it's amazing that Honda has put together such a great collection for an event like this here in the UK. I believe the fans and visitors feel the same way. The 1988 NSR500 I rode was beautifully restored and looks like a brand new bike. The engine looks brand new and is absolutely fantastic! I am honored to be here today to ride it in front of everyone. I think this is the best motorsport event in the UK, it’s unique. I will never forget riding here.

I am delighted to be here as a member of the Honda family. Of course I follow Honda F1 very closely. They haven’t done so well in grands prix this year, which is a shame because we were strong last year. Sato seems not to be up to his potential. I hope Honda’s performance will be better from this mid-season and Sato will drive at his potential. Today is the accumulation of yesterdays. Yesterday includes all of the motorcycles and automobiles that are part of Honda’s history, and they’re here at Goodwood for everyone to see. Many people come to see them. Of course, there are car and motorcycle enthusiasts, but there are also many families and young people. This is very important, because they are the future customers and future fans of Honda and other motorcycle and car manufacturers who have gathered here today. When I see this interest from the media, and the interest and enthusiasm from the public, I think the future of motorsports is secure.

FW11 is so different to the modern F1s. It had the same power as the B-A-R, but I felt it was only 1/10th as stable. Drivers in the ‘80s drove these cars, so it’s crazy. When my father knew I would be driving the FW11, he told me to take good care of it because it was a very important car.

I was a bit surprised when I first drove the car. The track is narrow and bumpy, more of a place to show off the car than a place to race. It’s an honor to drive the MP4/4, because it’s the car Ayrton Senna won his first championship in. It has more than 1,200 horsepower, but it was easy to drive. I am grateful for this opportunity. I was extremely happy.

This is my fourth time at Goodwood and last year and this year are very special. I got to drive a car that is set up exactly how I want it. It is a pleasure to have so many people cheering for me from so close by, which is something that only Goodwood can offer. I think I did my best to respond to those cheers.

I choose this car [NSX] even when I’m playing TV games with my son. Until now, it has been difficult for me to come to this event because of my race schedule. So I was very happy when I was able to come for the first time in 2004, after I retired. It’s a wonderful experience to see and hear so many cars, old and new. It’s a unique event and I'm honored to be a part of it.