Red Bull to bid farewell to Honda in 'Championship White'
03/29/2025 01:26 PM
Next week's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka will reportedly see Red Bull roll out a striking one-off white livery on its RB21 as a tribute to Honda in the Japanese manufacturer's final home race as the team's power unit partner.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit, now welcoming Yuki Tsunoda as their newest driver for his first race with the team, is marking the end of an era that began in 2019 – a partnership that propelled Max Verstappen to four world titles and Red Bull to two constructors' championships.
With Honda set to switch to Aston Martin in 2026 under new regulations, Red Bull's special livery celebrates a golden chapter while nodding to Japan's rich motorsport heritage.
The Honda Legacy at Red Bull
The Red Bull-Honda alliance has been a triumph against the odds. Starting in 2019, it broke Mercedes' stranglehold on the hybrid era, blending Honda's increasingly potent powertrains with Red Bull's razor-sharp chassis design.
The fruits of this collaboration stand as a testament to a partnership that defied expectations. Yet, the road wasn't always smooth.
Honda announced its F1 exit at the end of 2021, shifting its focus to electric powertrains and sustainability, leaving Red Bull with technical support and engine production.
But the lure of 2026's sustainable fuel and hybrid-heavy rules brought Honda back into the fold as a works player – only this time, with Aston Martin. Red Bull, meanwhile, will team up with Ford to forge its own path.
Suzuka 2025, then, is a swan song – a last dance on home soil before the two partners go their separate ways.
A White Salute to Tradition
The choice of a white livery is no accident. In Japanese motorsport, white carries deep significance, dubbed "Championship White" within Honda's inner circles—a color synonymous with victory and heritage.
Reports suggest Red Bull's RB21 will echo the crisp, white-dominated design of the RB16B run at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, or perhaps the RB4 showcased by David Coulthard for the Wings for Life charity.
It's a look that could mirror the current Racing Bulls livery, blending nostalgia with a modern edge.
Verstappen is joining the tribute, unveiling a matching white helmet for the weekend. Sharing the design on X, he captioned it simply, "For you," with a Japanese flag—a quiet nod to the fans and the manufacturer that powered his dominance.
Tsunoda's Homecoming and a Team in Transition
Adding to the weekend's emotional weight is Yuki Tsunoda's debut with Red Bull. The Japanese driver, a product of Honda's talent pipeline, steps up to Red Bull's main team just as his nation's manufacturer bids farewell.
For Tsunoda, racing the white-liveried RB21 at Suzuka – his home Grand Prix – offers a poetic symmetry, a chance to honor Honda's legacy in front of his compatriots.
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Meanwhile, Red Bull stands at a crossroads. With Honda's exit looming and Ford waiting in the wings, this livery isn't just a goodbye – it's a bridge between past glories and future ambitions.
The RB21, bathed in Championship White, will cut through Suzuka's esses as a rolling monument to what was, and a hint of what's to come.
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