Honda powers in for Goodwood

Jenson Button and John Surtees will join a host of Honda star drivers to pilot the company’s famous two and four wheel machines at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Current Honda Racing F1 ace Jenson will be driving both his current F1 car and the V12 RA301 which last turned a wheel in anger back in the Mexican Grand Prix of 1968. Fellow team-member, Honda Racing F1 Sporting Director and former Indy car champion, Gil De Ferran will also take the famous RA301 up the Goodwood hill.

Honda has been involved with the Goodwood event since it began 14 years ago. Each celebration of motorsport prompts Honda to bring racing machines worth millions of pounds from the Collection Hall in Japan. This year’s Festival of Speed theme is "A Century of Grand Prix" and Honda's heritage places the manufacturer right in the heart of the action.

As well as displaying renowned racers from the past, Honda Racing F1 will run the very latest F1 car. Jenson Button sits behind the wheel of RA106 on Sunday, with his team-mate and Honda test driver, Anthony Davidson, on the Saturday run at Goodwood.

"The Festival of Speed is a really fantastic event where the fans can experience F1 in a safe, totally unique and fun setting," commented Jenson.

Celebrating 40 years of Honda in Formula 1 will be former World Champion John Surtees – reunited with his V12 F1 racer, the RA300. John won the Italian Grand Prix in this car back in 1967.
Meanwhile, on two wheels, Honda has no less than eight outstanding machines in action, with riders from past and present performing for the crowds.

The RC162 bike (ridden by Luigi Taveri, Ralph Bryans, Tommy Robb and Jim Redman) and the RC174 (Stuart Graham, Ralph Bryans and Jim Redman) represent Honda’s participation during the 1960s. Honda’s 1980s race success comes in the shape of Ron Haslam, reunited with his ELF 3 charger. Bringing things bang up-to-date comes Karl Harris on the British Superbike CBR 1000RR, and Casey Stoner on the RC211V MotoGP machine. To add further spice, James Toseland will sprint towards Goodwood House on the CBR 1000RR WSB machine. Fresh from a hat trick of TT wins and 11 times Isle of Man winner, John McGuiness will be wheelieing his way up the drive on his TT lap record holding Fireblade. Completing the bike line up is Mick Extance, the best finishing Brit four years in a row on the gruelling Paris-Dakar. Mick will be entertaining the crowd with his off road antics on his works CRF450X.

Finally, to complete Honda’s motorsport celebrations, the current British Touring Car Champion, Matt Neal will be in action on all three days in his Honda Integra, a firm favourite with British fans and a driver certain to please spectators at the Festival with his committed approach!