Visa Cash App RB launch heralds 60 years since Honda’s first F1 race
The launch of the newly renamed Visa Cash App RB F1 Team in Las Vegas, USA represents the first Honda-powered machine to be revealed in 2024, which is the 60th year since Honda’s first Formula 1 race with the RA271 in 1964.
Fittingly, Honda’s most recent run of Formula 1 dominance was kick-started by the partnership with the team in its former Toro Rosso guise in 2018.
Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be behind the wheel of the VCARB 01, which this season is powered by the Honda RBPTH002 PU – a 1.6l V6 Hybrid which has become as dominant as Honda’s first F1 engine was revolutionary – opting for a 1.5l V12 at a time when conventional wisdom was for a V8 configuration. More information on Honda’s hybrid PUs is available at https://honda.racing/f1/machines.
Oracle Red Bull Racing will reveal their challenger, also powered by the Honda RBPTH002, on 15 February from the team’s base at Milton Keynes, UK.
Both teams will be on track when Formula 1 official testing starts on 21-23 February in Bahrain, followed shortly by the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of the season also at the Bahrain International Circuit on 29 Feb to 2 March.
Honda will continue to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first Formula 1 race throughout the 2024 season.
Koji Watanabe, HRC President
“We are truly honoured to celebrate with you this opportunity to begin our new journey as Visa Cash App RB, a collaboration that began in 2018, in this 60th anniversary of Honda’s participation in Formula 1.
“We are proud of the victory we, along with our passionate partners, achieved at Monza in 2020, which marked the 50th race of our partnership. This race taught us the importance of continuing the challenge to realise our dreams.
“HRC and Honda will continue to provide full support as technical and team partners, and we will fight alongside our friends at Visa Cash App RB to realise a new dream - victory in Formula 1.“
Peter Bayer, CEO Visa Cash App RB
“Honda have a long and storied history in Formula One and we are very proud to have been a key part of that journey which started for us back in 2018. The relationship has been one of respect and a mutual drive that saw the Honda engine become the benchmark for performance. Of course, it’s a very different engine to the one they first entered Formula One with in 1964, though that itself was revolutionary, but reflecting on that journey and where we are today shows just how far that challenging spirit and development has come in 60 years.”
