Latest news with #HondaRA272
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Why Red Bull changed their F1 car liveries to white for Japanese Grand Prix
Plenty of attention will surround Red Bull at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix after its sudden decision to change drivers just two races into the Formula One season. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen will have a new teammate across the garage at Suzuka in Yuki Tsunoda, who steps up from Red Bull's sister team, Racing Bulls. Liam Lawson has moved in the opposite direction after a tough start to the year in the senior Red Bull squad. But when Tsunoda takes to the track as a Red Bull F1 driver for the first time, he will do so in a very different-looking car. On Tuesday, the team revealed a revised livery for this weekend, sporting a white and red design to replace its typical navy blue. To celebrate its partnership with Honda, which ends this year. Honda owns the Suzuka circuit, originally built as a test track, meaning the Japanese GP is always a major moment in its sporting year. It first linked up with Red Bull in 2019 as its engine supplier and has built the power units that were instrumental in all four of Verstappen's world championship wins. Advertisement To celebrate the Honda partnership at its home race, Red Bull has designed a tribute livery inspired by the Honda RA272 car that raced in 1965. Honda scored its first victory that year at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Richie Ginther behind the wheel. Like the Honda RA272, the Red Bull RB21 cars at Suzuka will race with a white base livery that features the Japanese flag motif around the driver numbers of Verstappen and Tsunoda, as well as carrying Honda branding and a special logo to mark 60 years since Ginther's win. Yes. Red Bull used a near-identical livery to this one for the Turkish Grand Prix, added to the calendar in 2021 in place of Suzuka, which did not return to the schedule until the following year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The final year of Red Bull's partnership with Honda was poised to be 2021 after the manufacturer announced in 2020 that it intended to quit F1. Red Bull acquired the design rights to the power units under its Red Bull Powertrains division, but the two parties ultimately maintained a technical collaboration through to the end of 2025 due to the freeze in the power unit regulations. In Turkey in 2021, Verstappen and his teammate at the time, Sergio Pérez, finished the race in second and third place as Valtteri Bottas scored victory for Mercedes. The red and white Honda thank-you livery was widely loved by fans, making its return for this weekend in Japan highly popular. For all the success that Red Bull and Honda have enjoyed together, from next year, they will be rivals going against each other on the track. In February 2023, Red Bull announced that it had entered a partnership with Ford to support its powertrains division, bringing the American manufacturer back to the sport. Advertisement Honda also reversed its decision to quit F1, announcing last year that it would become Aston Martin's new works partner and supply engines to the team under the new regulations that come into force next year. Speaking about the Honda relationship, Verstappen said he carried 'a lot of positive memories' across his championship victories but also through his enjoyment of working with the brand. 'It's something that I'm very proud of, that I've been able to share all these great moments with Honda,' Verstappen said. 'The fans here in Suzuka and Japan, they're always very passionate about Formula One in general and, of course, cheering on Honda.' It is common for teams to make tweaks or wholesale changes to their car liveries during a season to mark anniversaries or promote their sponsors. Red Bull isn't the only team changing its livery for the Japanese GP. Haas has also opted to make some smaller tweaks, incorporating cherry blossoms to its usual design in a nod to the ongoing season in Japan. Last year, McLaren ran a yellow and green tribute livery to Ayrton Senna for the Monaco Grand Prix, commemorating the Brazilian great's F1 success. Alpine changed its car color from blue to red at Spa to promote the Deadpool vs. Wolverine movie, starring its shareholder, Ryan Reynolds, as well as running a pink design early in the season for title sponsor BWT. Ferrari also added to its famous red color for the Miami Grand Prix, introducing some blue elements in a nod to its American racing heritage, as well as its new title sponsor, HP. (Top picture: Red Bull)
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Red Bull F1 Team To Race With Amazing Honda Tribute Livery In Japan Before Jumping Ship To Ford
Red Bull Racing is bringing 1960s elegance from Honda's first stint in Formula 1 to Suzuka for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. The team's RB21 cars will be decked out in a Honda RA272 tribute livery, a retro scheme intended to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Honda's first F1 win and the final year of the automaker's partnership with Red Bull. The gesture carries a bit more meaning, as Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda will debut with the team at Suzuka. A Honda RA272, with American driver Richie Ginther behind the wheel, led every lap and won the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. It was the first time a Japanese car had won an F1 race, a landmark moment for the country's fledging auto industry. In fact, Honda had only been building cars for two years at that point, with the S500 roadster debuting in 1963. The factory team would only win one more time before withdrawing from the championship after 1968. Read more: Red Bull Was Ready To Fire Christian Horner, But He Threatened Legal Action To Keep His Job: Report The RA272's striking livery was a product of its time. Sponsored liveries were banned from international competition until 1967, and F1 entries were required to compete with their car in specified national colors. As a Japanese team, Honda's car was obligated to be painted white with a red circle, mimicking the Japanese flag. The pearl white used on the RA272 is still offered by Honda on its modern models as Championship White. Red Bull's translation of the RA272 livery features a similar shade of white, differing only for weight reasons. The red sun remains at the front of the car, used as a number plate for Max Verstappen's No. 1 and Tsunoda's No. 22. The traditional red-and-yellow Red Bull logo is now metallic red on the engine cover. The modern Honda wordmark has also been swapped for the sans-serif wordmark used on the 1960s F1 car. The nosecone also features two small but meaningful additions: an era-accurate Honda logo and a decal commemorating the RA272's win. While both Red Bull and Honda are gracious in what their partnership was able to achieve, it's ending for a reason. The power unit deal reached a breaking point by 2020 over the team's lack of competitiveness. The narrative was flipped on its head after Verstappen won the championship in 2021, but it was too late to salvage the alliance long-term. Red Bull bought the engine's IP and rebranded it as a Red Bull Powertrains product ahead of the 2022 season. Red Bull will produce its 2026 power unit in-house with Ford support, while Honda will supply Aston Martin. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Express Tribune
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Red Bull unveils striking Honda Livery for Japanese GP
Red Bull has unveiled a special white livery for the Japanese Grand Prix, paying tribute to its outgoing engine partner Honda in what will be the final home race of their collaboration. The RB21's design is inspired by the Honda RA272, the car that secured the Japanese manufacturer's first Formula 1 victory with Richie Ginther at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. The livery features a red sun on the nose, symbolising Japan's national flag, with metallic red bulls on the engine cover. Honda's logos have been altered to their 1960s versions, and the nosecone bears a memorial marking 60 years since the milestone win. Red Bull will switch to Ford power units from 2026, making this Suzuka appearance a symbolic farewell. The livery draws comparisons to the white Red Bull run at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, which also paid homage to Honda after that year's Japanese GP was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yuki Tsunoda, who replaces Liam Lawson at Red Bull, will make his debut for the team in front of his home crowd. "To be honest, I never expected to be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix," Tsunoda said during a Honda event in Aoyama. "This is the final year of Red Bull and Honda's partnership, so getting to race in Suzuka as a Red Bull Racing driver feels like fate." Tsunoda, 24, acknowledged the challenge ahead but expressed hope for a strong performance. "My priority is to first understand the car, how it behaves compared to the VCARB. If I can naturally enjoy driving it in FP1, then the results will follow. And if that leads to a podium finish, that would be incredible." The Japanese GP marks a significant chapter in Red Bull and Honda's history, with the special livery serving as a final tribute to their success together in Formula 1.
