ERA 1 - 1964 to 1968

Driven by the founder of an ambitious motorcycle company that hadn’t yet sold a car, Soichiro Honda’s fervent passion of not know if it is possible but wanted to do it anyway saw Honda’s seemingly reckless Formula 1 challenge begin.

Honda first entered the pinnacle of single-seater racing in 1964 at the German Grand Prix. Although the debut didn’t yield points, it gave everyone involved in the project a taste of the adrenaline. And so, just the following season, Honda won its first F1 race at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix with Richie Ginther.

A further win and podium came in 1967, with the legend that was John Surtees behind the wheel.

Honda withdrew from the championship at the end of the 1968 season to focus its efforts on selling automobiles in America.

ERA 2 – 1983 to 1992

Honda’s second era in the sport spanned almost a decade and was brimmed with many golden moments as an engine manufacturer.

Initially partnering with Spirit, Honda quickly rose to prominence through collaborations with top outfits like Williams, Lotus, and McLaren where their turbocharged V6, V10 and V12 engines became a byword for power and reliability.

Between 1986 and 1991, Honda-powered cars won six consecutive constructors’ championships and five drivers’ championships, with some of the most iconic names in F1 history trusting Honda power – think Senna, Prost and Piquet to name just a few.

Honda withdrew at the end of 1992 season, citing economic pressures and a shift in focus. Nonetheless, this era solidified Honda’s reputation as one of the most successful engine manufacturers in F1 history, and laid the foundation for future comebacks and technological innovation in the sport.

ERA 3 – 2000 to 2008

Honda’s third era in Formula 1, from 2000 to 2008, was a turbulent tale of ambition, innovation, and heartbreak. Rejoining the sport as an engine supplier to BAR, their engineering prowess helped elevate the team to second in the constructors’ championship in 2004.

By 2006, Honda had taken full control of what was BAR, running their own works team for the second time in their F1 history. Although not easy, 2006 saw a memorable victory with Jenson Button at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Despite these flashes of excellence, consistency ultimately cost further results and, at the end of the 2008 season, Honda withdrew from F1 due to the global financial crisis.

ERA 4 – 2015 to 2025

The most recent chapter in Honda’s F1 history ran from 2015 to 2021 and included many peaks – including a record-breaking season and multiple constructors’ titles - and troughs, where their entrance to the turbo-hybrid era was marked with reliability issues and harsh criticism.

After the McLaren relationship ended in 2017, Honda went on to supply Toro Rosso and one year later Red Bull Racing, rebuilding their reputation with relentless vigour.

The first victory in the era came at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix with Max Verstappen and, from there, the partnership went from strength to strength. This culminated with winning the drivers' championship with Verstappen in 2021 which also marked the end of Honda's fourth era in the sport.

From 2022 to 2025, Honda and HRC supported Red Bull Racing by providing technical power unit support. Red Bull Racing took consecutive constructors’ championships with Honda power in 2022 and 2023 and drivers’ championships with Verstappen in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

To put it quite simply, their fourth era wasn’t just about winning; it was about proving that perseverance can rewrite history.