Red Bull reveals white livery for Japan GP tribute

Red Bull Racing has revealed a striking white livery for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, creating a fitting tribute to engine partner Honda at their final home race together.

The special design draws inspiration from the legendary Honda RA272, the car that secured Honda's first Formula 1 victory with Richie Ginther at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix.

Historic inspiration

The distinctive white scheme adorning the RB21 carries profound significance for both Red Bull and Honda.

While maintaining the shape of Japan's national flag, engineers have carefully adjusted the shade of white slightly from the original RA272 design for weight considerations.

Metallic red bulls now grace the engine cover, complemented by the iconic red sun emblem on the nose – a powerful symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun.

The nostalgic design extends to modified Honda logos reflecting their 1960s style, while the nosecone features a memorial marking the 60th anniversary of Ginther's groundbreaking win.

Echoes of previous tributes

This isn't the first time Red Bull has donned white in honor of their Japanese partners.

The livery bears resemblance to their 2021 Turkish Grand Prix special edition, which was created after that year's Japanese race was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Notably, the new design also shares similarities with Racing Bulls' VCARB 02 full-season livery, which will remain unchanged for the Suzuka weekend. The red-and-white scheme holds additional cultural significance in Japan as a symbol of good fortune.

Tsunoda's Red Bull debut

The special livery coincides with Yuki Tsunoda's highly anticipated Red Bull Racing debut at his home grand prix.

The 24-year-old Japanese driver replaces Liam Lawson amid high expectations from the Milton Keynes team.

"To be honest, I never expected to be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix,"

Tsunoda reflected last week during an event at Honda's Aoyama headquarters.

"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 approaches his debut with measured optimism.

"I don't want to raise expectations too much, but for this Japanese Grand Prix, I want to finish on the podium. That said, I know it won't be easy right from the start."

His immediate focus remains practical.

"My priority is to first understand the car, how it behaves compared to the VCARB. If I can naturally enjoy driving it as I get familiar with it in FP1, then the results will follow. And if that leads to a podium finish, that would be incredible."