Honda began developing the 3.5-litre V10 in the latter half of 1987 in preparation for the mandatory switch to naturally aspirated engines for the 1989 season, working alongside Williams, Lotus, and McLaren during the development process. The engine debuted with McLaren in 1989, powering the team to the Constructors' Championship — McLaren's fourth title of the 1980s and Honda's fourth consecutive championship as an engine supplier. In 1990, Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger continued to drive the Honda-powered McLarens, winning six races and claiming another Constructors' title.
A notable feature of Honda's F1 engine program during this period was that all engines were returned to Japan immediately after each race for disassembly and analysis, then typically disposed of after diagnosis. This practice means that very few original Honda Formula One engines from this era still exist.
When McLaren switched to the V12 engine for 1991, Honda's 1990-specification V10 units were passed to Tyrrell, serviced by Mugen Motorsports as the RA101E. The following year Mugen began producing its own closely related V10, the MF351H, for the Footwork team. Although Honda withdrew from Formula One at the end of 1992, Mugen continued independently, developing the engine across successive seasons.
Mugen's V10 engines powered a series of mid-field teams through the 1990s. The engine's first Formula One victory came at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix, when Olivier Panis drove the Mugen-powered Ligier to an unexpected win. The relationship with Jordan Grand Prix, which began in 1998, brought a breakthrough moment at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, where Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher scored a Jordan 1-2 finish — the team's first ever Formula One victory. In 1999, Heinz-Harald Frentzen won twice with the Jordan-Mugen combination, in France and Italy, and mounted a brief challenge for the Drivers' Championship.
Honda returned as a works engine supplier in 2000, becoming the sole engine supplier for British American Racing (BAR). The 3.0-litre RA000E debuted that year under new regulations. BAR's best result with Honda power came in 2004, when the team finished second in the Constructors' Championship. Honda also supplied Jordan in 2001 and 2002 alongside BAR, eventually buying out the BAR team entirely in 2006 to operate as a full constructor.
Across all Honda and Mugen Honda V10 programs, the engine family accumulated two Constructors' Championships, two Drivers' Championships, 20 race wins, 30 pole positions, and 66 podium finishes.
The Honda and Mugen V10 engines were fitted to a range of chassis across their operational years, including the McLaren MP4/5 and MP4/5B, Tyrrell 020, the full BAR 002 through BAR 007 sequence, Jordan 198 through EJ12, and various Footwork, Ligier, Prost, and Lotus cars. Honda also used the V10 in test and development cars including the RC101B and the RA099, the latter specifically built to prepare for Honda's return as a works supplier.