Red Bull cars to sport Honda tribute livery at Japanese GP

Oracle Red Bull Racing (RBR) will commemorate its long-standing partnership with Honda at the this weekend’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix with a special livery.

The team last wore a similar colour scheme at the 2021 Turkish GP to honour their Japanese engine suppliers.

With the Honda-RBR partnership expiring and Ford to take over as engine supplier from 2026, F1 champion Max Verstappen and new Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda head to Suzuka this weekend in white and red RB21 cars. 

Honda’s first victory in Formula One was courtesy of Richie Ginther driving the RA272 to victory in the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix.

The car was designed by Yoshio Nakamura and Shoichi Sano, and the win came just two years after Honda started producing road cars. It was the first of 89 victories for Honda-powered Formula One cars.

The special Suzuka livery recreates the RA272’s iconic Japanese flag motif, featuring the “H” logo on the nose and the Honda logo on the rear of the bodywork.

A special logo commemorating 60 years since Honda’s first F1 victory is displayed across all four Red Bull-backed cars on the grid.

Verstappen and Tsunoda will also wear bespoke white, red and black Sparco racing suits and special edition Japan GP helmets, while the rest of the team, including the pit crew, will wear a Castore-produced and limited edition white, red and a black polo shirt. 

“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,” said Christian Horner, CEO and team principal.

“Max has won four world titles with a Honda power unit, and the team has lifted two constructors’ titles. 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.”

Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), said: “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. Our successful path will continue to shine in the history of F1.”

On Tuesday evening in Tokyo, Oracle Red Bull Racing will host a REBL Car culture meet, which celebrates the spirit of Japanese car culture by bringing enthusiasts and their cars together.

A Red Bull Showrun through the streets of Tokyo on Wednesday featuring all four of the current 2025 Red Bull F1 drivers will take place.

Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and rookie Isack Hadjar will take to the streets in a Honda RA272, the RB16B in which Verstappen won his first drivers’ title, and two RB7s which won double world championships.