Honda RA302

{{Short description|Formula One racing car made by Honda}}

{{Racing car |

Car_name = Honda RA302 |

Image = 260px|

WC_results_only = Y |

Category = Formula One |

Constructor = Honda R&D |

Predecessor = RA301 |

Successor = RA106 |

Designer = Yoshio Nakamura,
Shoichi Sano |

Team = Honda Racing France |

Drivers = {{flagicon|FRA}} Jo Schlesser |

Chassis = Magnesium-skinned monocoque |

Front suspension = double-wishbone|

Rear suspension = double-wishbone|

Engine name = Honda RA302E, |

Capacity ={{cvt|2987.5|cc|abbr=on}} |

Configuration =120° V8 |

Turbo/NA = naturally aspirated |

Engine position = Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted air cooled |

Gearbox name = Honda |

Gears = 5-speed |

Type = manual |

Differential = |

Fuel = BP/Shell |

Tyres = Firestone |

Debut = 1968 French Grand Prix,
Rouen. |

Races = 1 |

Wins = 0 |

Cons_champ = 0 |

Drivers_champ = 0 |

Poles = 0 |

Fastest_laps = 0 |

}}

The Honda RA302 was a Formula One racing car produced by Honda Racing, and introduced by Honda Racing France{{cite web |url=http://www.chicanef1.com/indiv.pl?name=Honda%20RA302&type=M |title=Honda RA302 |publisher=ChicaneF1 |access-date=2 September 2014}} during the 1968 Formula One season. The car was built based on an order by Soichiro Honda to develop an air-cooled Formula One engine.{{cite web

|url=http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1964formulaoneentry/text06/

|title=Formula One Entry (1964): The Question: Victory or Technology

|publisher=Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

|access-date=2009-02-11}} The magnesium-skinned car was entered in the Formula One race alongside the water-cooled, aluminium-bodied RA301 which had been developed by the existing Honda team and British Lola Cars.

It would only appear in one race, the 1968 French Grand Prix at Rouen-Les-Essarts, driven by Jo Schlesser. Schlesser was chosen to drive the RA302 because normal Honda driver John Surtees (who was the {{f1|1964}} world champion and would finish second in that race) refused to drive it as he deemed it to be unsafe and labelled it as a "potential deathtrap".{{cite web |url=http://www.f1technical.net/f1db/cars/232/honda-ra302 |title=Honda RA302 |publisher=F1technical.net |access-date=2 September 2014}} This was proven on lap three{{cite web |title=France 1968 • lap by lap |url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/1968/france/tour-par-tour.aspx |access-date=4 May 2024}} of the Grand Prix; Schlesser crashed at the Virage des Six Frères section of the circuit and the car came to rest sideways against a bank.{{cite web |url=http://liveandletdiecast.kinja.com/tomica-honda-ra-302-review-1618771829 |title=Tomica Honda RA 302: Review |publisher=Live and Let Diecast! |access-date=2 September 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040711/http://liveandletdiecast.kinja.com/tomica-honda-ra-302-review-1618771829 |url-status=dead }} The magnesium-bodied Honda and 58 laps worth of fuel ignited instantly, killing Schlesser and destroying the original RA302.

A second RA302 was built, with slight modifications, earmarked for Surtees to drive at the 1968 Italian Grand Prix, but he again refused to drive it. Honda decided to pull out of Grand Prix racing and did not return as a constructor until 2006 with the RA106.{{cite web |url=http://www.tradingpaints.com/showroom/view/1114/Honda-RA301--Surtees |title=Honda RA301 - Surtees |publisher=tradingpaints |access-date=2 September 2014}} In 2012, the RA302 intended for Surtees at the Italian Grand Prix was on display at the Honda Collection Hall.{{cite web |url=https://www.panoramio.com/photo/75198319 |title=Honda Collection Hall, HONDA RA302 |access-date=2 September 2014}}

File:Schlesser.jpg crashes and burns on lap 3 of the 1968 French Grand Prix. Schlesser was killed.]]

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