Red Bull honors Honda in Japan; Haas features Toyota tribute

Red Bull will run a white livery to honor its power unit partnership with Honda at the final Japanese Grand Prix together, while Haas also has a special design for Toyota’s home race.

The Red Bull and Honda Formula 1 partnership began in 2019 — a year after junior team Toro Rosso started using Honda power units — and has since yielded four drivers’ championships and two constructors’ titles, including 64 race victories across both teams.

With Honda becoming the works supplier to Aston Martin under the new power unit regulations starting in 2026 and Red Bull building its own powertrain, this year marks the final time the partnership will compete at Suzuka and so Red Bull will run a livery that is inspired by Honda’s RA272 — the car that delivered the Japanese manufacturer its first victory in F1 back in 1965.

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“Our relationship with Honda deserves celebration, it has been one of continued success and brought the team one of the most triumphant and dominant periods in our history,” team principal Christian Horner said. “Max [Verstappen] has won four world titles with a Honda power unit and the team have lifted two constructors’ titles, in addition, and Honda’s reliability enabled to complete the most successful season in the sport’s history in 2023.

“This livery is a tribute to Honda’s success in the sport and the final year of what has been a thoroughly enjoyable partnership. I am looking forward to seeing it out on track.”

Both Verstappen and new teammate Yuki Tsunoda will run special helmet designs and white race suits this weekend as well, on what will be the second occasion Red Bull has carried such a livery, following the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.

“It is quite moving to see the RA272 tribute livery on the latest Red Bull Racing machine, in the final year of Honda and Red Bull’s partnership,” Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said. “Our successful path will continue to shine in the history of F1.”

Although the Japanese Grand Prix takes place at a Honda-owned circuit. one of the other teams with a Japanese technical partner — Haas — is also running a special livery this weekend. Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing have been working together since late last year, and Haas is marking the start of the cherry blossom season in Japan with a special “sakura” design on its VF-25.

“After a very successful weekend in Shanghai, we’re energized to come to Japan,” team principal Ayao Komatsu said. “Suzuka is a very challenging circuit both for drivers and engineers to setup the car right.

“Even though we raced competitively in Shanghai, we know that we still carry a fundamental car issue that was exposed in Melbourne. We’re going into this weekend with our eyes wide open to tackle any challenges we might face and aim to get the best out of the VF-25 and our drivers.”