1/43 Model Review: 1999 Honda RA099 Test Car

Before I feature the World Champion from twenty years ago, I thought I would take a pause and look at the whole field for the 1999 season in 1/43 models.

Background

After pulling out of F1 in 1992, Honda were flirting with the idea of making a full works team comeback, and there is a prototype of the RC101B around 1995/1996.

In 1998 Honda set up the HRD team (Honda Racing Development) for the purposes of evaluating its entry into F1 with its own team in 2000. The car called RA099 had its first shake down on the 15th December 1998 in Vairano, Italy. Designed by Harvey Postlethwaite and built by Dallara, the RA099 would be a test car prior to coming back to the sport after over a 30 year absence as a full constructor. The test times were looking promising however designer Dr. Postlethwaite suffered a heart attack and lost his life at a test in Jerez, and the programme was shut down.

Honda came back as an engine supplier in 2000, and it wouldn't be until 2007 when they would return as a constructor once more. In 2015, Honda returned once more as an engine supplier to McLaren in the turbo/hybrid era which did not go well and now the Honda power units power Red Bull and Toro Rosso cars.

Minichamps

Minichamps 436990099

Minichamps produced this test car in a large square gift box, which I personally never had room to store let alone display. Anyway, I'm not aware of any other models in 1/43 scale of this car, but it was nice of Minichamps to produce this one, with Jos Verstappen at the wheel. This car is typical of the Minichamps standard of cars during that time, good proportions, fairly reasonable detail, not too much to complain about considering their prices at the time.
Score 7/10