Latest news with #Suzuka

The Herald
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald
Ayrton Senna's final Honda V10 F1 engine goes under the hammer
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. HRC has confirmed it plans to expand its memorabilia business in future, including in Japan, with more auctions of historically significant machines and components.

The Drive
6 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@


Telegraph
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
F1 2025 season: Schedule, standings, sprints and how to watch
The 2025 Formula One season is two races in and McLaren have begun the season where they finished last: with two victories in two grands prix. Lando Norris won the first of those in Australia whilst his team-mate Oscar Piastri triumphed in China. It was a bittersweet weekend for Lewis Hamilton who took sprint race victory in Shanghai but was then excluded from the grand prix classification, along with his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, after finishing sixth. When is the next F1 race of the 2025 season? The third round of the 2025 F1 season is the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix that takes place at Suzuka. That runs from Friday April 4 until Sunday April 6. Drivers standings


Scoop
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Kiwi Lineage At The Forefront For The 'Jean Machine'
It's just as well Jean Kento Turner enjoys flying. This year he'll be making at least 10 return trips from his home in Osaka to various European race circuits, and a trip to New Zealand in 2026 is not out of the question. Jean – as in the 'Jean Machine' – is a busy 16-year-old Japanese schoolboy, contesting the Japanese Suzuka stock 600 series, as well as the European-based FIM Yamaha Blu Cru R3 World Cup and the Italian CIV Moto3 Championship with Team POS Corse. The Japanese national, who was born in Hiroshima, the middle of three children, also holds dual nationality through his Kiwi passport via his father Simon Turner. And for those wondering, yes, Jean's father is the Simon Turner who raced in New Zealand back in the 1980s and 90s. Jean, who turns 17 in September, has emerged this year as a rising talent, drawing on his years of European racing experience as he graduates to the bigger classes. He is equally at home in all three categories, father Simon says, though a recent growth spurt would suggest his immediate future lies in Moto2 or World Supersport. 'He's at the crossover phase.' 'He's now too tall for NSF250 Talent cup bikes/format and too young for full Moto2, so he's just enjoying exploring these three different categories and gaining new skills every time he gets on a bike.' The CIV series also suits Jean, where the bikes are slightly bigger than regular Moto3, running Yamaha 450cc engines. 'But, yes, a big bike is probably where Jean needs to be heading soon, Moto2 ideally.' This is Jean's first year racing on Japan's full-size circuits and in April he made his stock 600 debut on a Honda at Suzuka. 'He was most impressive on his 600 debut, in my eyes,' says Simon. 'He's still kind of unknown here in Japan, though Suzuka results have made people take notice.' Jean, riding for and under the guidance of former HRC rider and tester and Suzuka Eight-Hour pole-sitter Shinya Takieshi, finished second in his debut race at the famed Japanese track. He backed that up at the recent second round with a win. Takeishi san comments: 'Kento recently joined my team with the initial goal of using the Japanese domestic races at Suzuka on the 600cc as a training platform for his overseas efforts. 'However, it was clear from watching him at the first test that he had exceptional adaptability and natural speed, enough that I could see he would be a title contender right away. 'His curiosity and ability to absorb instructions then immediately convert them into action, even during a race situation, is unique. 'Feedback is precise and accurate, which makes my job very thrilling and rewarding. In the first two races of the season, he has achieved a second place and a win with the fastest laps on both occasions, much exceeding our expectations. 'We are looking forward to nurturing his considerable future potential.' It was also a new experience for Jean on the Yamaha. He had never ridden an R3before the first round of the R3 World Cup at Portimao. He learned quickly, and in just the second round at Misano earlier in June, Jean claimed a second-place finish – the first World Series podium in Europe by a member of the Turner family since uncle Keith 54 years ago. Jean currently sits seventh overall in the Yamaha R3 World Cup, with four rounds – 8 races – remaining. Jean's route to the world stage has been an interesting one, starting with Japanese pocket bike series until age 10, before moving on to 100cc minibikes and flat-tracking. At the age of 13, Jean made the big step to Premoto3 in the Italian Championship. After showing promise, he was picked up by Paulo Oliviera (Miguel Oliveira's father) to do the ultra-competitive 2023 ESBK Spanish Championship in Premoto3. Again, consistent improvements saw him running towards the pointy end of the field by year's end. However, 2024 was a frustrating year, a growing Jean no longer fitting comfortably on the NSF250 Talent Cup bikes and picked up an injury. Come 2025, and it was time to rethink bike choices and strategy, says Simon. 'Originally, I was planning on doing the Asia Pacific Yamaha R3 series,' Jeansays. 'But during the application process, Yamaha Japan intervened, and I was invited to go straight into the world series. 'It was a big leap into the unknown for me, but as it turns out Yamaha's judgment was the correct one.' Like so many teenage racers, Jean's family is funding his race programme. 'Yes, it's coming out of our pockets, and sustaining it for four years in Europe is certainly a huge family commitment so far,' says Simon, who runs an inkjet technology supply business based in Osaka. No decision has yet been made regarding the path Jean will take in 2026. 'We have an open mind, and several teams have seats available for him in FIMJuniorGP both Moto3 and Moto2, although funding is always a vital consideration,' says Simon. 'Certainly, Jean's podium and real pace at Misano was a big result and has already opened some new doors.' As for making a debut New Zealand race appearance, Jean says 'never say never'. 'Maybe if a nice summer race package came up . . . who knows.' Regardless, Jean is very proud of his New Zealand heritage and points to his helmet design by Starline – who create designs for MotoGP stars, including JorgeMartin, Pecco Bagnia and Joan Mir – 'Southern Cross and the silver ferns'.


The Independent
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Max Verstappen names six F1 tracks which must stay on calendar
Max Verstappen has named six F1 circuits which should always remain on the sport's calendar – and is set to be disappointed with one of those tracks not on the 2026 schedule. Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen is known to favour historic, old-school circuits but has made clear his dislike for sprint races and the number of events on the current calendar, currently at 24. Now, the Red Bull driver has named his six F1 tracks which should stay on the schedule permanently. 'If it were up to me, the calendar would look very different and also have fewer races,' he told Dutch outlet Formule 1 Magazine. 'Circuits that, in my opinion, deserve a 'separate status' and always belong on the calendar, purely on sporting grounds, are Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Silverstone, Imola, Suzuka and Brazil.' However, Imola's contract with F1 has expired and the Italian circuit is not on the 2026 schedule. The only reprieve for the Emilia-Romagna circuit could be if the new street track in Madrid, which is scheduled to make its debut next September, is not completed on time. In addition, the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort – Verstappen's home race – will no longer be on the calendar after 2026, while Spa-Francorchamps will only host a race once every two years from 2027. Yet Suzuka has a contract in place until 2029, Interlagos in Brazil until 2030 and Silverstone until 2034. Verstappen also recently participated in a GT3 test at the Nurburgring Nordschleife but ruled out the prospect of F1 finding a permanent home again at the famous German track. 'That's really not going to happen with the Formula 1 cars we have now, I'm afraid,' he said. 'With GT3 speed, it is okay and still doable. I have seen old footage now and then, also of Formula 1 on the Nordschleife. 'One thing is for sure: F1 there, that will never happen again. Far too dangerous.' Verstappen will be eyeing his third win of the 2025 season at Red Bull's home race this weekend, the Austrian Grand Prix.