Berger reunited with Honda F1 V12 engine 33 years on
More than 30 years after his podium at Estoril, Berger has been reunited with the very Honda V12 engine that powered his McLaren
Berger poses with Tanabe and Watanabe during the handover of the Honda RA122E/B engine
Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger has been reunited with a piece of his racing past, 33 years after competing with Honda power in the 1992 season.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has presented Berger with the RA122E/B V12 engine that powered his McLaren MP4/7A during the Portuguese Grand Prix, where he qualified fourth and later went on to secure second place ahead of team-mate Ayrton Senna.
The engine, serial number FDRE-V039, has been restored at HRC’s Sakura facility before being handed to Berger by HRC president Koji Watanabe and Toyoharu Tanabe, who served as Berger’s on-track engine engineer during the 1992 season.
“I am truly delighted to deliver this 1992 Honda F1 V12 engine to Mr. Berger, who actually drove it at the time and won a podium,” Watanabe said. “This marks a significant step forward in our memorabilia business to widely share the history of Honda F1.”
Tanabe added: “I was the on-track engine engineer for Mr. Berger at the time, so being able to hand over that very engine to him today is deeply moving. I also had the honour of meeting him on the podium at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2019, and now again, I’m truly honoured to see him at another historic moment.”
Berger during the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix
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Berger, a 10-time grand prix winner, reflected on his years with Honda: “One of the most wonderful periods of my Formula 1 career was with Honda.
“I experienced Honda as a highly competitive and passionate motor sport company, whose enthusiasm is evident in its decades of success in racing. I am particularly proud of the friendship that grew out of my close collaboration with my race engineer, Toyoharu Tanabe.
“The deep appreciation for the Japanese culture, the mutual respect from top management to employees, and the warm hospitality with which I was always welcomed made working with Honda something truly special for me. For that I am very gratefut.
Honda’s partnership with McLaren in the late 1980s and early 1990s produced multiple race wins and championship titles, and the RA122E/B is emblematic of the V12 era, when the Japanese manufacturer’s engines were renowned for their power, reliability, and engineering sophistication.