Red Bull have revealed a special one-off livery for the RB21 that will be featured during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. The striking white and red design is a tribute to their final year of partnership with Honda.
This event will also see Yuki Tsunoda step in as Max Verstappen’s new teammate in front of his home crowd. The Japanese driver will replace Liam Lawson, who returns to Racing Bulls. The livery pays homage to Honda by incorporating elements from the RA272, which marked Honda’s first-ever victory in Formula 1 back in 1965.
A Tribute to Honda’s Legacy
The new livery features a Japanese flag-inspired motif, with the ‘H’ logo placed on the nose and the classic Honda logo on the rear of the car. Additionally, a special logo celebrating the 60th anniversary of Honda’s debut victory will be displayed on both Red Bull and Racing Bulls cars throughout the weekend.
“Our relationship with Honda deserves celebration,” said Christian Horner, CEO and Team Principal. “It has been a period of immense success, with Max winning four world titles and the team securing two Constructors’ championships. Honda’s reliability played a key role in our record-breaking season in 2023. This livery is a fitting tribute to Honda’s achievements in the sport.”
Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), expressed his emotions, stating, “Seeing the RA272 tribute livery on the latest Red Bull machine in this final year of our partnership is truly moving. Our legacy will always shine in F1 history.”
Red Bull’s Past and Future with Honda
This is not the first time Red Bull has raced with a white livery. The team previously used a special livery for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. Ahead of the racing action, Red Bull and Racing Bulls will also participate in a show run through the streets of Tokyo on Wednesday.
Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar will take the wheel of a Honda RA272, an RB16B, and two RB7s, which were responsible for multiple championships in 2011 and helped Verstappen claim his first Drivers’ title powered by Honda.
