Honda is getting ready to leave Formula One by year’s end on somewhat of a bittersweet note. After several years of disastrous results, Honda’s role as an engine supplier finally seemed to be turning the corner. Sadly, it was too late. The company announced late last year that it was pulling the plug on the F1 program. Before it goes, though, RedBull Racing is going to send off its engine partner with a heartfelt farewell in the form of a retro livery.
RedBull Racing’s cars will forgo its standard dark blue color for a white one that seems to be a throwback to the 1965 RA272. It was the car that gave Honda its first F1 win, at a time when it seemed almost insane for a burgeoning Japanese carmaker to even try competing in the world’s highest form of auto racing.
Something's looking a little different… ありがとう @HondaRacingF1 🤍 pic.twitter.com/44GUwHHvrl
— Red Bull Racing Honda (@redbullracing) October 6, 2021
Rather than a Japanese sun on the front, the car appears to substitute a RedBull logo. The hiragana across the rear wing says arigatou, Japanese for “thank you”. It would have been poetic for the car to run at Honda’s own Suzuka Circuit, but the Japanese Grand Prix that was scheduled for this weekend was canceled this year. Instead, it’ll run at the Turkish Grand Prix this weekend.
As with everything they do, Red Bull are a class act. I wish for Honda to depart the sport as F1 champions, unlike what happened before when they sold their team a year too soon to Ross Brawn, who would go on to win the mfr and drivers titles. Go Honda!
the Honda is dead
long live the Honda
acura was never a F1 team or any part of the F1 program