Latest news with #AyrtonSenna
Auto Blog
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Ayrton Senna's final Honda F1 V10 engine is up for grabs
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. View post: These Are the Slowest-Selling Cars In the U.S. Right Now View post: Amazon Is Selling a 'Top-Notch' $20 Anker Charger Adapter for 40% Off, and It's 'Performance Is Fantastic' F1 Relic Will Be Sold In Disassembled Form Few names in Formula One history are as evocative as Ayrton Senna, who won three championships in inimitable style with a combination of McLaren chassis and Honda V10 engines that was nearly unbeatable. Well-heeled F1 fans will soon have an opportunity to own a significant piece of that history. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the automaker's motorsports division, is releasing the last Honda V10 engine raced by Senna. Number V805, a 3.5-liter RA100E engine, will be part of the Bonhams auction at The Quail, one of the anchor events of Monterey Car Week, scheduled for August 15. The sale will kick off HRC's new memorabilia business, announced this past April, for the sale of vintage cars, engines, and parts. 0:00 / 0:09 VW will introduce a sub-$20,000 EV, but probably not here Watch More End Of An Era The RA100E engine was installed in the McLaren MP4/5B, the team's 1990 F1 car. That season is famous for the battle between Senna and former teammate Alain Prost, who had moved to Ferrari after a toxic rivalry between the two drivers developed at McLaren. Senna took the driver's title by crashing into Prost at the penultimate Japanese Grand Prix, while McLaren won the constructor's championship. Honda replaced the RA100E V10 with the RA121E V12 for the following season, in which Senna and McLaren once again clinched the driver's and constructor's championships, respectively. But the competitiveness of McLaren-Honda dropped off in 1992, and Honda left F1 after that season due to concerns about the unstable Japanese economy. The V12s' short competitive life means they're not as fondly remembered as Honda's F1 V10s, which represent the automaker's peak in the sport. McLaren-Honda was the dominant force in F1 during the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, winning the constructors' championship every year except 1992. And Honda powered all three of Senna's driver's titles. Perfect For Your Living Room Screenshot RA100E engine number V805 was used by Senna during a warmup sessions for the fateful 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, but not during the race in which Senna crashed into Prost. It was then used as Senna's race engine during the 1990 Australian Grand Prix—the last race of the season, and Honda's V10 era. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. According to a Honda press release, F1 engines from that era are usually returned to Japan, taken apart to look for wear and fatigue, and then discarded. But because the focus had already shifted to next season's V12 by the time engine V805 was built, it was left intact and forgotten in a warehouse until last year, according to the auction listing. This engine won't be sold in its original state, though. It was disassembled and placed in a display case, making it all the easier to admire the engineering of one of F1's greatest eras. If you have space in your living room and a spare $80,000-$120,000 (the Bonhams' estimated hammer-price range), it can be yours. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Brazil returns to MotoGP calendar next year
PARIS: A race in Brazil will replace one in Argentina in next season's Moto GP, organisers announced on Tuesday as they unveiled the 2026 calendar. The race at the Ayrton Senna circuit in Goiania, scheduled for the second event of the campaign, marks Brazil's return to MotoGP, having hosted races between 1987 and 1989. Argentina is set to organise a race again once a circuit is built near Buenos Aires. The season will end on Nov 22 in the Spanish city of Valencia. MotoGP 2026 schedule: March 1: Buriram, Thailand March 22: Goiania, Brazil March 29: Austin, United States April 12: Lusail, Qatar April 26: Jerez, Spain May 10: Le Mans, France May 17: Catalonia, Spain May 31: Mugello, Italy June 7: Balaton, Hungary June 21: Brno, Czech Republic June 28: Assen, Netherlands July 12: Sachsenring, Germany August 9: Silverstone, Britain August 30: Aragon, Spain September 13: Misano, San Marino September 20: Spielberg, Austria October 4: Motegi, Japan October 11: Mandalika, Indonesia October 25: Phillip Island, Australia November 1: Sepang Malaysia November 15: Portimao, Portugal November 22: Valencia, Spain
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Ayrton Senna's final Honda V10 F1 engine goes under the hammer
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will auction off a significant piece of Formula One history next month — the final Honda V10 engine used in competition by legendary driver Ayrton Senna. The unit, engine number V805 of the RA100E series, powered Senna's McLaren Honda MP4/5B during the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship. It will go on sale at the Bonhams Quail Auction in Carmel, California, on August 15 as part of the prestigious Monterey Car Week. HRC announced earlier this year it would launch a motorsport memorabilia programme aimed at offering collectors and enthusiasts access to authentic race cars, engines and components. The V805 engine is the first item in this initiative and it's an important one. Disassembled and preserved by HRC's own technicians, the engine will be auctioned in a custom-built display case containing all its original parts. It also comes with an HRC-issued certificate of authenticity. According to the company, Senna used this exact engine during warm up at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in October 1990 and again in the race at the season-ending Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide on November 4. Back in the day, Honda's F1 power units were typically returned to Japan for inspection and dismantling, with most parts eventually discarded. But with the firm shifting its focus to V12 development for the 1991 season, engine V805 was spared, thus making it the last Honda F1 V10 driven in competition by Senna. Monterey Car Week is a mecca for classic car collectors, where high-profile sales, concours events and historic races attract global attention.
The Drive
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Last Honda V10 Raced by F1 Legend Ayrton Senna Is Up for Sale
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Grab your wallet, log into your 401K, take the hit on your kid's 529b, or maybe even ask your parents for a loan; something very special is coming up for sale, and you'll want to do whatever it takes to bring it home. Honda is auctioning a used V10 Formula 1 engine raced by none other than Ayrton Senna during the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship. Once attached to the back of a McLaren Honda MP4/5B, serial number V805 was used by the three-time F1 champ during the last two race weekends of the 1990 season. Specifically, the warm-up of the Japanese GP at Suzuka Circuit in October and the race at the Australian GP in Adelaide in November. McLaren Honda MP4/5B. Pascal Rondeau Look up stats for the Japanese GP, and you'll notice that Senna placed third during the warm-up session with this very engine, and he went on to qualify first, ahead of his former teammate Alain Prost. Presumably, the engine was swapped between the warm-up and qualifying, as Honda's release specifically states it was only used in the former. Or, perhaps, the same engine was used for the rest of the weekends, but it technically did not race because Senna crashed into Prost on the first corner of the first lap, ultimately resulting in DNFs for both the McLaren and Ferrari—though it gave Senna his second drivers' title. The Australian GP didn't fare much better for Senna, as he started from pole but failed to finish the race due to a gearbox issue. Fellow Brazilian Nelson Piquet went on to win both of these GPs. The fact that this isn't a race-winning engine hardly takes away from its magic, as ultimately, it is the last V10 engine Senna ever raced. During this era, all engines were sent back to Honda in Japan for disassembly and inspection, and most of them were ultimately discarded. However, being the last V10 before the series transitioned to V12s, it was left alone and put into storage. It was never disassembled until recently, when it was meticulously taken apart to be placed in its new display case that's headed to auction. Honda HRC, Honda Racing Corporation (and HRC US in North America), has embarked on a rather aggressive mission to grow the business side of its operations over the last year, so it's no surprise to see it bringing special stuff like this to the public. It does make me curious what else Honda is hiding in its many warehouses, though. It feels like this is just the beginning. Hosted by Bonhams, the auction will take place on Aug. 15 during Monterey Car Week, so make sure to have your bidder number ready when the action kicks off. Click here for more details. Got a tip? Email us at tips@
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
F1's heart and soul lies in Spa. But the clamour for glamour puts it at risk
Each summer, fans descend on the Belgian countryside, braving unpredictable weather and muddy campsites for a glimpse of Formula One's most romanticised battleground. Tucked in the Ardennes forest, Spa-Francorchamps, hosting the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, is a rite of passage for drivers, a pilgrimage for fans, and for many, the heart and soul of motor sport. Since its debut on the calendar in 1950, Spa has carved itself into F1 folklore. Mika Häkkinen's audacious double overtake on Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta in 2000 is one of the sport's most celebrated moves. In 2023, Max Verstappen stormed from 14th to victory in an epic comeback. Ayrton Senna won five times there, calling it his favourite circuit, a sentiment echoed by many current drivers. At 7km long with 19 corners, Spa is the longest track on the calendar and home to some of F1's most distinguished features. Nowhere is this clearer than at Eau Rouge and Raidillon, a sweeping blind uphill left-right kink that rewards precision and bravery in equal measure. Lewis Hamilton once described the thrill as a stomach-churning plunge that makes it feel like everything might come up at once. 'It's quite the rush when you're doing 200mph,' he admitted. But the same section that delivers such exhilaration has also brought tragedy. In 2019, Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert died at Raidillon following a high-speed multi-car collision. Four years later, 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff was killed at the same corner during a Formula Regional race, this time in treacherous wet conditions. The crashes were hauntingly similar: a car losing control, struck at speed by oncoming traffic cresting the hill with little visibility. With growing concerns about safety, Spa responded with changes in 2022: gravel traps were reintroduced, barriers were moved, and some runoff areas widened. But critics argue the changes did not go far enough to address the corner's inherent dangers, especially in the wet, where spray and visibility become critical factors. George Russell likened it to 'driving down the motorway in pouring rain and turning your windscreen wipers off'. And now, alongside the safety debate, Spa is also facing a battle for its place on the calendar; its future, once considered untouchable, is now under threat. In a sport increasingly shaped by commercial interests, heritage circuits like Spa are being squeezed. Its most recent contract extension confirmed the Belgian Grand Prix will remain but on a rotational basis. Spa is set to be dropped from the calendar in both 2028 and 2030, potentially alternating with new venues in Thailand, Argentina or Rwanda. For some, it's a natural evolution. For others, it's a warning sign. The release of Netflix's Drive to Survive in 2018 marked a turning point for Formula One, particularly in the United States. Under Liberty Media's ownership, the sport has seen a dramatic shift in scale and audience. Attendance at the US Grand Prix in Austin nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022, and a 2025 survey found that 73% of American fans now intend to attend a race. Now with Apple TV reportedly bidding for US broadcast rights on the back of the F1 film, the commercial juggernaut shows no signs of slowing. But the sport's growing appetite for glamour, reflected in the rise of circuits like Las Vegas, Miami and Jeddah, has raised concerns. For all the spectacle, there is a sense that Formula One is edging away from the traditions that built it. Circuits like Spa, Silverstone and Monza are now forced to compete with newer venues offering flashier packages and deeper pockets. Verstappen, Spa's unofficial home hero, has previously suggested that traditional tracks deserve special status in the sport, exempting them from rotation or replacement. F1 has always walked the line between danger and glory. But in an era shaped by commercial growth and heightened safety standards, Spa presents an uneasy dilemma. Its difficulty is part of its charm – the unpredictable weather, the margin for error, the rawness that feels increasingly rare. As the sport moves further into new markets, the question is no longer just whether Spa should stay. It is whether Formula One can afford to lose what it represents. For now, the Belgian Grand Prix remains, and this year's edition promises another compelling chapter. With Christian Horner's departure, all eyes will be on how Red Bull responds under new leadership. McLaren, meanwhile, look to extend their surge in form as the title fight intensifies. And as ever, the drivers face one of the sport's greatest challenges – a circuit that rewards bravery and punishes hesitation.
