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This article first appeared in GP Racing magazine.
Inspirational people abound in motorsport. From top-level drivers who astonish us with their skill, control and courage, to people behind the scenes who create the facilities and technology for it all to be realised on track. That human element of determination and commitment in the face of sky-high challenges is always impressive.
The coronavirus lockdown gave me a chance to revisit the career of a man whose influence is still part of the modern scene, and who overcame national and global traumas to emerge as a figurehead in the world of mechanised transport.
A book on the subject arrived on my doorstep thanks to my neighbour having a clear out, and I was soon immersed. Soichiro Honda was born in 1906 in a period of severe economic recession. He developed an early passion for machinery and at the age of 15 travelled to Tokyo to become an apprentice at a garage owned by a motor racing fan.
