Four years after returning to Formula 1 as an engine supplier, Honda is finally partnering up with a top team in the form of Red Bull, in addition to supplying its sister outfit Toro Rosso. To celebrate this, the Japanese carmaker has released a video celebrating this milestone – and like plenty of Honda videos over the years, it’s a pretty cool one at that.
The anime-style film starts normally enough, with four cars from the two teams racing each other on a stylised version of Suzuka – but before long all sorts of weird and wonderful start to happen as the racers transform into other vehicles in Honda’s broad catalogue.
Sure, there’s much to enjoy on the four-wheeled front, with the NSX and Civic Type R bagging starring roles – as does the RA272, the first Japanese car to win an F1 race back in 1965. But viewers will also spot many other machines beyond the automotive realm.
These include the iconic Super Cub, the NM4 touring bike, a Honda-engined powerboat, the Mean Mower and even the HondaJet. Even the Uni-Cub Beta makes an appearance to hilarious effect.
Honda certainly has much to celebrate, having spent the first three miserable years with McLaren. The “dream partnership” was an unmitigated disaster, with a lack of pace, reliability and results leading to the Woking team departing to Renault for power.
After a year of supplying Toro Rosso (which included Pierre Gasly clinching a brilliant fourth in Bahrain), the main Red Bull team decided to sign with Honda for the 2019 season – and judging by Max Verstappen ending up on the podium in Australia, it looks like the partnership is already bearing the fruits of the labour.
Everybody trust in Japanese engine quality and reliability. Perfect for F1
Do tell that to McLaren.
Why no video celebration of their partnership back with McLaren?