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Once again, Formula 1 bids goodbye to the engine manufacturer, Honda. The Japanese company has powered Red Bull Racing for the last three seasons, cementing the constructor’s place as a top team in F1. Now, as Red Bull says “arigato” to Honda, the team will change its regalia to honor the successful partnership.

Hours before dropping a sneak peek at their special livery, Red Bull teased on Twitter that something new was on its way. Fans immediately expected a new livery. The guess was fairly simple as Red Bull had changed its Twitter display picture from the savvy dark blue to a much simpler white.

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To the fans’ satisfaction, it is a new vintage livery. From the brief clip that Red Bull released, it looks to be stunning. Predominantly white with Japanese calligraphy, the Red Bull machine might give the McLaren Gulf livery a run for its money. The signature red and blue of the marque pop against the plain white background; the Japanese script reading “thank you” gives the look a unique oomph.

Additionally, sister team Alpha Tauri will honor the engine supplier as well.

The timing for the livery is perfect, as the Japanese GP was to take place around this time. Organizers fancied the race in Suzuka to be sandwiched between Sochi and Istanbul as a triple header. Following the race’s cancellation due to the ongoing pandemic, Honda missed having its dominant car race at its home circuit.

Red Bull Racing Honda- a supreme chassis

The collaboration between Red Bull and Honda birthed a supercar that has shaken the grid over the last three seasons. In a very fitting way, Red Bull claimed its first victory with the Honda engine in the 2019 Austrian GP; a win in Red Bull’s home race by the team’s star to kick start an exceptional journey.

via Reuters

Now, being robbed of the opportunity for the alliance to come full circle in Japan, Red Bull hopes to give the Japanese fans an opportunity to witness a victory in their colors. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hopes to give the fans what they want. “The livery chosen for our cars pays homage to Honda’s remarkable F1 journey and hopefully we can give fans another victory in those legendary colors this weekend.”

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Similarly, Koji Watanabe, CO of communications for Honda, shares Horner‘s interests. “We know that a special livery cannot replace what would have been a very exciting weekend, but we hope that Honda fans around the world, especially those in Japan, will accept this special livery as a small token of our appreciation of their continued support over so many years.”

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Emotions, legacy, and success mount the Red Bull chassis; the successful engine and the support of the Japanese fans will fuel all four of the Red Bull cars this Turkish GP. Will Max Verstappen bring home a victory for Honda in its heritage colors?

Watch this story: Top 5 wins of Max Verstappen’s F1 career

Written by

Shreya Sanjeev

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Shreya Sanjeev is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having attained a journalism degree from St Xavier's College, she finds comfort in the sound of her keyboard while typing and excitement in the sound of F1 cars speeding on a track. A street circuit and Daniel Ricciardo fan through and through, Shreya claims the 2018 Monaco GP to be one of her favorite races of all time.
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