The Honda RA272 was a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing car designed by Yoshio Nakamura and Shoichi Sano for the

1965 Formula One season The 1965 Formula One season, which was the 19th season of FIA Formula One racing, featured the 16th World Championship of Drivers and the 8th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers. The two titles were contested concurrently over a ten-round ser ...

. It was the first Japanese car to win in Formula One.

Concept

A successor to the

Honda RA271 The Honda RA271 was Honda's second Formula One racing car, and its first to actually enter a race. The chief engineer on the project was Yoshio Nakamura, with Tadashi Kume in charge of engine development. It was driven in three races during ...

, the RA272 was noticeable mainly for its technically advanced (though rather wide and heavy) 48-valve 1,495.28 cc V12 engine (58.1 x 47.0 mm), a

water-cooled Cooling tower and water discharge of a nuclear power plant Water cooling is a method of heat removal from components and industrial equipment. Evaporative cooling using water is often more efficient than air cooling. Water is inexpensive and n ...

, transversely mounted unit which reportedly gave at 13,000 rpm. The engine was safe to 14,000 rpm, which was unusually high for a 1960s engine design.

Racing history

For their second season in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

signed

Richie Ginther Paul Richard "Richie" Ginther ( Hollywood,''Richie Ginther Enters Times Grand Prix'', Los Angeles Times, September 13, 1960, Page C1 California, August 5, 1930 – September 20, 1989 in France) was a racecar driver from the United States. During ...

– who had scored multiple podium finishes and had a reputation for being a great test and development driver – to drive alongside Ronnie Bucknum. The car made its debut at the second round of the season in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

. The race ended in a double retirement as the cars suffered gearbox and transmission issues. Ginther qualified fourth at the next race in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, and finished the race in sixth to give Honda their first points finish in Formula One. The next race in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

ended with ignition problems for both drivers, after a best qualifying position of seventh by Ginther. At the following

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Cha ...

, Ginther qualified an impressive third, just 0.5 seconds off pole position, but the race again ended up in a retirement, this time caused by injection issues. Ginther, G

Ginther once again qualified third at the

Dutch Grand Prix The Dutch Grand Prix ( nl, Grote Prijs van Nederland) is a Formula One motor racing event held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands, from 1950 to 1985 and from 2021 onwards. It was a part of the World Championship from 1952, a ...

. He shot into the lead for the first two laps, but eventually finished sixth to score more points. The team didn't participate in the

German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix (german: Großer Preis von Deutschland) was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history; the Nürburgring in Rh ...

, but returned for the next race in Italy. In

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, Bucknum qualified sixth – ahead of Ginther – after not participating in the last three races, but both cars retired from the race with ignition problems. Ginther qualified third in the

United States Grand Prix The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...

, but finished seventh. The following Mexican Grand Prix was going to be the final race of the season and also the final of the 1,500cc era. Ginther again qualified third and after he took the lead on the first lap, led every lap to win the Grand Prix. Bucknum finished fifth to make it a double points finish. It was a historic moment, as it was the first Grand Prix victory for a Japanese team, car and engine. It was also Goodyear's first Formula One win. The Honda RA272E V12 had staggering acceleration and often led the race into the opening lap after leaving the stationary starting grid. Despite not participating in every race, Honda finished their second season in Formula One sixth in the constructors' championship.

Legacy

Honda's

Type R Honda Type R models are special performance editions of their respective model families. The design of Type R models was originally focused on race conditions, with an emphasis on minimizing weight, and maximizing performance potential (e.g. en ...

cars traditionally have a Championship White paint option and a red Honda badge as a tribute to the RA272. The RA272 appeared in the ''

Formula One Championship Edition ''Formula One Championship Edition'' is a racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for PlayStation 3. Background The game follows the basic structure of '' Formula One 06'' for t ...

'' video game as an unlockable bonus car. It also serves as the design influence for the B Dasher kart in the ''

Mario Kart is a series of racing games developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses from the ''Mario'' series as well as other gaming franchises such as ...

'' series.

Pictures

Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

External links

Honda Formula One cars {{F1-stub