Honda Racing had last competed in Formula One as a constructor in the 1960s but had pulled out of the sport, after its driver Jo Schlesser was killed in one of its cars in the 1968 French Grand Prix at Rouen. The company had re-entered Formula One in 1983 as engine supplier to the Spirit team before moving on to have extremely successful partnerships with Williams (1984-1987) and McLaren (1988-1992) as well as less illustrious partnerships with Lotus (1987-1989) and Tyrrell (1991).