Honda's grip on Formula 1 was now secure, and during 1986 Nelson Piquet won four races, Mansell five. The Englishman narrowly lost the world championship to Alain Prost following a 180 mph tyre failure in the last race, but Williams-Honda secured the constructors' championship - 45 points ahead of second placed McLaren-TAG.

During the following season, Honda engines were used by Lotus as well as Williams, giving Ayrton Senna two victories, while Piquet in the Williams-Honda captured his third world championship notching up three victories, his car failing to finish only twice. With team-mate Mansell's six wins, it meant Honda had taken a second constructors' championship, this time 61 points ahead of McLaren-TAG.


A clean sweep - almost

The 1988 season - the last of the turbo era - saw the formidable pairing of Senna and Prost in McLaren-Hondas and they went on to win 15 of the 16 races (Senna eight to take the title, Prost seven), gaining pole position 15 times, and collecting the constructors' championship with an unprecedented 199 points. The results spoke for themselves, as they did again in 1989 when a new, naturally-aspirated 3.5 litre V10 went into a new McLaren. Alain Prost emerged as world champion, with Honda collecting its fourth constructors' championship.

For 1990, the McLaren-Honda pairing were Senna and Gerhard Berger and despite fierce competition from Prost's Ferrari throughout the season, both the team and the Brazilian once again took championship honours.

The Honda engine in the Marlboro McLarens in 1991 was the more powerful 121E V12, and went on to win eight races, bringing Honda the constructors' cup for the sixth year in a row and the drivers' championship (Senna again) for the fifth.


End of an era

1992 marked the end of a truly outstanding era, for in that year Honda withdrew from Formula 1.

Yet Honda was not to be long out of the motor racing limelight, for in 1994 American Honda made its first venture into the PPG Indy Car World Series, competing with characteristic Honda success: manufacturers' titles in 1996 and 1998, and the drivers' titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998.



Honda's motorsport highlights

- 1964 August: Honda takes part in first Formula 1 race, the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring
- 1965 October: Richie Ginther's RA272 wins Honda's first Formula 1 race, the Mexican GP
- 1966 October: Honda engines win 11 consecutive Formula 2 races
- 1967 September: Honda wins second Formula 1 race, the Italian Grand Prix, with John Surtees driving the RA300 V12
October: Honda finishes joint fourth with Ferrari in world constructors' cup
- 1980 June: Honda resumes European F2 racing
- 1981 November: Ralt-Honda wins European F2 championship (Geoff Lees)
- 1983: Ralt-Honda wins European F2 championship (Jonathan Palmer)
March: Twin-turbocharged 1500 cc Formula 1 racing engine announced
July: Honda re-enters Formula 1 Grand Prix racing: Spirit-Honda F1 makes debut at Silverstone
October: New FW09 Williams-Honda makes debut at the South African Grand Prix and finishes fifth (Keke Rosberg)

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