Honda F1 confirms partnership agreement

As confirmed at the launch of the Honda Racing F1 Team's new environmental concept at the Natural History Museum in February, the team has agreed a partnership with Instron. A leading global specialist in structural and materials testing, Instron's equipment is designed to test and evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components.

In its partnership with the Honda Racing F1 Team, Instron provides testing equipment to determine component characteristics in end-use conditions and the durability of the Honda RA107 Formula One car, including the suspension and steering systems. The agreement includes the supply of a state of the art 24-axis durability testing rig, capable of applying track load data to suspension and chassis components.

Gary Savage, Operations Director at the Honda Racing F1 Team, said: "Safety and reliability is the paramount concern when operating a Formula One car. Instron's testing equipment and instrumentation enables us to bring the race circuit into the laboratory, providing a greater level of confidence, especially when testing new components, the failure of which on the track could have dangerous results."

"In addition, the Honda Racing F1 Team will continue to work in close co-operation with Instron to develop their products and new bespoke test rigs to facilitate the handling and performance characteristics of race cars within the laboratory. This will help us to make our work at the circuit more focused and efficient."

Tom Davies, Instron Sales Manager for North West Europe, commented: "We are very pleased to formalize our long-standing and prestigious relationship with the Honda Racing F1 Team and to be integral to the overall performance of the Honda RA107 cars. Equally, we are proud to associate ourselves with Honda's new environmental concept and fully support this brave and forward thinking initiative." Honda PR