Red Bull’s Tribute to Honda at the Japanese Grand Prix

Red Bull Racing has unveiled a unique livery for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, honoring its engine partner, Honda. This race marks Honda’s final home event with the team before their collaboration with Ford commences in 2026.

A Nod to Honda’s Rich Racing History

The RB21 will sport a white livery, reminiscent of the Honda RA272 driven by Richie Ginther to Honda’s first Formula 1 victory at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. The design echoes Japan’s national flag, with subtle variations in the shade of white for weight reduction purposes.

The engine cover will feature metallic red bulls, while the nose sports a red sun symbolizing the Land of the Rising Sun, similar to the original RA272. Honda logos have been updated to versions from the 1960s, and the nosecone features a logo commemorating the 60th anniversary of Ginther’s historic victory.

This livery bears resemblance to the Red Bull from the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, another tribute to Honda after the Japanese GP was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shares similarities with the Racing Bulls VCARB 02’s full-season livery, which remains unchanged this weekend.

The red-and-white color scheme is considered a symbol of good fortune in Japan and will mark Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut as he replaces Liam Lawson with high expectations within the Milton Keynes camp.

Yuki Tsunoda’s Dream Debut

Speaking at a Honda event in their Aoyama headquarters last week, Tsunoda expressed his surprise and excitement about racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix. He considers this opportunity as fate, given that it is the final year of Red Bull and Honda’s partnership.

Although he is cautious about raising expectations too high, Tsunoda aims to finish on the podium during his debut race. He acknowledges the challenges ahead but is determined to understand the car first and enjoy driving it as he gets accustomed to it in FP1. If this leads to a podium finish, Tsunoda believes it would be an incredible achievement.