Tuesday, January 8, 2008

1968 Honda RA301

The Honda RA300 was a Formula One racing car produced by Honda Racing, and introduced during the 1967 Formula One season. It retained the same V12 engine as the preceding RA273 car, but the chassis was designed by Lola’s Eric Broadley and based on a previous Lola Indianapolis 500 car. This collaboration resulted in the machine being quickly dubbed the Hondola by the motorsports press.

Broadley’s chassis was much lighter and sweeter handling than the previous in-house design. The car initially performed impressively, winning in its first ever World Championship race at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. Driver John Surtees took the lead from Jim Clark’s Lotus and Jack Brabham’s Brabham on the final lap, after Clark ran out of fuel and Brabham ran wide.

However, the RA300 flattered to deceive, and this would turn out to be the only lap that an RA300 would lead, and it never again took a World Championship victory. It remains the only F1 car ever to take its single victory in its very first Grand Prix, and on the only lap it would ever lead.