The 201 made its Formula One debut in the hands of Swedish driver Stefan Johansson at the non-championship 1983 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.

There Johansson qualified the car 12th (out of 13, Jean-Louis Schlesser's RAM March did not record a time but still started).

He retired with a blown engine after 4 laps, having already moved up to 10th with laps as quick as the leaders, including what was reportedly the most powerful car of 1983, the 650 bhp (485 kW; 659 PS) Ferrari 126C2B driven by René Arnoux.

Johansson retired just as television commentator Murray Walker was ironically telling viewers that the team and the Honda engine had done thousands of miles of trouble free testing.

For the team's World Championship debut at the 1983 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a modified 201C design was produced, which Johansson qualified in a respectable 15th.