Red Bull celebrates Honda era with special livery at Japanese GP

Red Bull Racing will sport a special red and white livery at this weekend’s Japanese GP — marking 60 years since Honda’s first Formula 1 victory achieved by Richie Ginther at the 1965 Mexican GP.

The moment becomes more significant with Yuki Tsunoda’s promotion to the main Red Bull team — a major milestone for Honda’s Formula Dream driver development program.

Honda’s journey in the modern F1 hybrid era began with a difficult period alongside McLaren in 2015-2017. The lowest point came at the 2015 Japanese GP when Fernando Alonso labeled Honda’s power unit as a “GP2 engine” — a comment that further strained the relationship.

However, Red Bull’s decision to partner with Honda proved successful. The partnership yielded:

• Two constructors’ titles (2022-2023)
• Four drivers’ championships with Max Verstappen
• Several significant victories including the 2019 Austrian GP

“We are proud to have achieved our goal of developing drivers who can compete at the highest level,” stated Koji Watanabe, Honda HRC President. “I am very pleased that Yuki can make his debut with a special livery commemorating our 60 years of F1 victories.”

While the partnership with Red Bull will conclude ahead of the new 2026 regulations — when Honda switches to Aston Martin — their achievements have completely transformed Honda’s F1 image from the McLaren struggles to becoming a championship-winning manufacturer.