Honda Returns to F1

August 8, 2013

After quite some time, it appears as though Honda is ready to return to the ranks in 2014 with their HPD program that could possibly erase the chasm that separates full factory P1 cars and the second-tier cars and engines made available to privateers.

After all, the global financial meltdown of 2008 didn’t figure to keep the manufacturer away forever, although the multi-team Acura Le Mans program may not be resurfacing anytime soon. Along with Wirth Research from the UK, Honda competed against some of the very best, most of all against the Penske-run factory Porsches of LMP2 before Honda had to shut down the F1 program in 2009, and subsequent shutting down of Honda’s ALMS participation.

While Honda had already been successful with it’s P1 championship with Highcroft racing, and minus the Acura moniker won it’s final ALMS title as a factory effort before turning back to becoming a full time chassis and engine supplier.

The new program for 2014 will have HPD continuing to supply customers with P1 and P2 chassis and engines, but with even more support and aggressive technology to date.

HPD VP of operations Steve Erikson revealed in an interview with RACER at Le Mans, that HPD would offer a energy – recovery system along with a small turbocharged and direct injection V6 engine based on the race winning IndyCar motor.

HPD’s move toward providing a works-level P1 solution, as Eriksen explains, got its start with the Acura NSX hybrid it announced and intends to race in an undetermined GT category.

Could the ERS system appear in the next gen NSX, which could also become HPD’s pilot for GT competition or possibly in the IndyCar series when it opens it’s regulations sometime after 2015.