Yuki Tsunoda hit with F1 embarrassment after breaking down BEFORE Mexican GP

Yuki Tsunoda, Spanish GP, Red Bull, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Mexican Grand Prix

Yuki Tsunoda hit with F1 embarrassment after breaking down BEFORE Mexican GP

Tsunoda broke down on track

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 26 October 2025 20:56

Yuki Tsunoda was faced with a bitter disappointment before the Mexican Grand Prix after the F1 star broke down on track during an iconic show run.

The Red Bull star paid homage to engine partner Honda in their final Mexican GP with the team, as Tsunoda jumped behind the wheel of a classic car from the Japanese manufacturer’s F1 history.

Tsunoda drove the Honda RA272, which was the first Honda car to win a F1 race at the 1965 Mexican GP with driver Richie Ginther leading every lap, in a classy all white livery completed with a red circle to represent the Japanese flag.

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As Tsunoda piloted the white Honda around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the sound of the V12 engine roared for the fans watching the show run in the grandstands.

However, Tsunoda was unable to complete a full lap of the circuit before the 1965 Honda slowed down and then came to a standstill on track, as the marshals rushed to the scene.

It is fairly common for old F1 cars to break down due to the age and wear of the vehicles, and the fault shouldn’t blight what was a special show run for Tsunoda in Mexico.

The history of the Honda RA272

The Honda RA272 was designed by Yoshio Nakamura and Shoichi Sano, and the car reached the top step of the podium in only their second year of competition.

From their year of entry in 1964, Honda developed their own engine and chassis, introducing their advanced 1.5 litre V12 engine which differed from their F1 rivals at the time, the majority of whom ran with V8s.

Despite strong qualifying performances for Honda drivers Ginther and Ronnie Bucknum in 1965, their RA272 was unreliable, suffering a double retirement on the car’s debut at the Monaco GP, the second race of the season.

Ginther would pick up three more points finishes in 1965 at Spa, Zandvoort and Watkins Glen, with Honda missing the German GP that year to focus on developing an updated version of the car.

Honda-powered cars have gone on to win multiple world titles since that first victory, powering those driven by Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet, most recently dominating with Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who has won four back-to-back world titles in the past four seasons.

F1 Honda Mexican Grand Prix