HRC President Yasuo Ikenoya explains the development process so far
for the revolutionary Honda RC211V:
'When we embarked upon the challenge of developing a four-stroke GP
machine, the first and foremost thing in our minds was that this
would be the first time in the world it had been attempted and also
the fact that we wanted to build an uncompromising racer. Next, in
order to realize our vision, we decided upon three concepts;
concentration of mass, minimization of the front silhouette and
maximization of traction.
'Following that, we began to consider some of the finer details.
Deciding upon the engine layout caused us the most grief. After
doing simulations using almost every imaginable layout, 3-cylinder,
4-cylinder and 5-cylinder options still existed. We really wracked
our brains over what to do. Firstly, the 3-cylinder choice would
necessitate oval pistons, this would of course represent a
challenge, but we had already attempted this in the past.
4-cylinder was too ordinary and we all agreed that this option
would be boring. In the end, we decided to go with a V5
design.
'Our choice was a result of research indicating that this design
had a good chance of winning races, but in the end, the real reason
we did it is because no one had ever done it before. The idea was
discussed among our staff and it seemed only natural to everyone
that we take on this challenge. Once we arrived at our decision, we
never had second thoughts.'
'When Honda enters any race, we naturally aim to win. But for us,
that's not the be-all and end-all of racing. We deliberately take
the roundabout route to victory. On the way, we evolve new
technologies, train our people, and learn all sorts of valuable
lessons. That's always been the Honda way. In technological terms,
the RC211V is a classic illustration of how this process works. Its
New Pro-link suspension, under-the-seat fuel tank, and many other
innovations were a direct result our focus on maximizing the
strengths of the V5 high-level design and packaging
flexibility.
'This brand-new racing machine developed from scratch has already
set new course records in our winter tests at Phillip Island and
Sepang. This is good news, but our competition isn't just sitting
around, so we need to keep pushing forward with its development. In
this regard, the situation is exactly the same for the NSR500
development team. The NSR500 incorporates further refinements on
the final-spec version of our 2001 championship machine. Its
lighter body allows it to out-perform the RC211V in terms of
low-speed cornering and hard braking. The design has more
experience behind it, and it's more reliable too, so its prospects
are excellent.'
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