Current Red Bull Racing driver—though who knows for how much longer—Yuki Tsunoda, will drive Honda’s first-winning Formula 1 car at the Mexico City Grand Prix in October. The Japanese racer will pilot the famous RA272 around the Circuito Hermanos Rodríguez in an exhibition run to celebrate Honda’s first-ever F1 win, which took place at the exact location 60 years ago.
The RA272, which I have covered in depth and had the pleasure of getting up close to last year, was driven to victory by American racing driver Richie Ginther during the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. It marked Honda’s first win in just its sophomore year in the series, and reinforced the young automaker’s involvement in motorsport. The RA272 is powered by a 1.5-liter V12 that revs to 13,000 rpm—yeah, you read that right.
Now, I’ve heard this car speed down the straight at Laguna Seca before, but to be fair, it did so at a moderate pace. Not fast, not slow, but the driver was definitely being conservative with the revs. Will Tsunoda-san be a little more, uh, adventurous on one of the longest straightaways on the F1 calendar? I sure hope so. I would love to hear what the V12 sounds like at full tilt, or at least pretty close to it.
“It is an honor to drive the RA272 at the special place where Honda achieved its first F1 victory,” said Tsunoda. “Driving on the track where the RA272 pioneered Japanese motorsports history 60 years ago is a particularly special and deeply moving experience. With Honda’s history of challenges in my heart, I want to give fans a drive that conveys dreams and passion.”
I’ll be on-site at the Mexican Grand Prix, covering all the happenings around Honda’s 60th anniversary of its F1 win. Also, as a Mexico City native, it’ll be a heartfelt return to the track where I witnessed my first few F1 races as a small niño. So stay tuned for loads of F1 content.
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