History and trivia
The RA106 arrived at a pivotal moment for Honda in Formula 1: the Japanese manufacturer had returned to the grid as BAR's engine supplier earlier in the decade and, in 2006, took full control of the team, competing once again as a full constructor under the name Honda Racing F1 Team. The car also debuted under a new technical regulation, with 2.4-litre V8 engines replacing the V10s used through 2005, forcing every manufacturer to develop new power units almost from scratch. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, both experienced drivers, formed that year's race line-up.
The RA106's most memorable outing came at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, run in intermittent rain and marked by several crashes and safety car periods. Button capitalised on the team's strategy to take his first career win, and Honda's first as a constructor since the 1967 Italian Grand Prix with John Surtees. That same season, Honda drew attention with its so-called "Earth Car" livery, which replaced the usual sponsor branding with an image of the Earth seen from space, used as an environmental awareness campaign.