Honda Leaving F1 racing

[aeronca65t]

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I'm not so much an F1 fan (anymore), but I know some of you guys are.

Honda has always been strong in racing so I'm sure this will hurt motorsports. I guess the $300 million per year to run the team was too much for them. The team is largely Brit-based, by the way.

I wonder how this will affect the Toyota F1 team?

I remember seeing John Surtees finish third at the US Grand Prix in 1968. We walked up to his car afterwards (those were the days!) and looked it over for a long time. It seemed so <span style="font-style: italic">exotic </span> and sounded so much cooler than the Fords.
Honda left F1 after '68 but returned eventually in '83. Maybe this is history repeating itself?

 

[Roger]

Me neither, not much of a fan any more, though the racing has been getting closer the last couple of years.

It's a shame Honda's out, but given the way F1 is shaping (they want one control engine soon - lunacy!) I'm not surprised. I too remember Big John pretty much running the F1 effort in the late 60s. My father was Technical Director (Cars) of Honda UK back then and was able to help the Surtees team with parts shipments and the like.

 

[rick_ingram]

Bernie is slowly digging his own grave.

 

[JamesWilson]

I'm not surprized... it's just insanely expensive.

 

[tiga2]

...I took this at Silverstone '65, this was the Honda paddock!
Note the crowd control!

Kind of think we need to go backward tech wise, maybe have a stock / spec carbon fiber tub, some kind of stock block (spec wise)and then let everyone go at it, add their own suspension and aero bits & pieces. Kind of a hi-tech F5000....but not too high tech.

Guess I just miss the old Can Am days and showing my age!

 

[Monark192]

I read somewhere that Jensen Button had a new helmet ($6,000 before paint) for each race. Kinda crazy if true.

 

[Shane]

I read somewhere that Jensen Button had a new helmet ($6,000 before paint) for each race. Kinda crazy if true.

That would be kinda crazy, but most of the drivers go through multiple helmets in a year. Plus, considering the cost to run a F1 team annually, it would be a drop in the bucket. I think $6,000 might cover a set of tires, and they get destroyed after each race.

 

[PAUL161]

I always liked the Formula Junior class. Poor mans open wheel racing. The cars didn't go that fast, didn't cost a ton of money, (Yes, you could get hurt in them), and were built out of basic components. A friend had one with a hoped up VW engine and drive train. Looked a little like this.

I remember setting in it once and had the impression that you wore it like a pair of trousers!

 

[bugimike]

Those were the good old days Paul!! How about something with just a bit more power...