Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishPlenty of attention will surround Red Bull at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix after its sudden decision to change drivers just two races into the Formula One season.Reigning world champion Max Verstappen will have a new teammate across the garage at Suzuka in Yuki Tsunoda, who steps up from Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls. Liam Lawson has moved in the opposite direction after a tough start to the year in the senior Red Bull squad.But when Tsunoda takes to the track as a Red Bull F1 driver for the first time, he will do so in a very different-looking car. On Tuesday, the team revealed a revised livery for this weekend, sporting a white and red design to replace its typical navy blue.Why is Red Bull racing in white this weekend?To celebrate its partnership with Honda, which ends this year.Honda owns the Suzuka circuit, originally built as a test track, meaning the Japanese GP is always a major moment in its sporting year. It first linked up with Red Bull in 2019 as its engine supplier and has built the power units that were instrumental in all four of Verstappen’s world championship wins.To celebrate the Honda partnership at its home race, Red Bull has designed a tribute livery inspired by the Honda RA272 car that raced in 1965. Honda scored its first victory that year at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Richie Ginther behind the wheel.Like the Honda RA272, the Red Bull RB21 cars at Suzuka will race with a white base livery that features the Japanese flag motif around the driver numbers of Verstappen and Tsunoda, as well as carrying Honda branding and a special logo to mark 60 years since Ginther’s win.
Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, and Yuki Tsunoda next to the Honda RA272 (Clive Rose/Getty Images)Has it happened before?Yes. Red Bull used a near-identical livery to this one for the Turkish Grand Prix, added to the calendar in 2021 in place of Suzuka, which did not return to the schedule until the following year due to Covid-19 restrictions.The final year of Red Bull’s partnership with Honda was poised to be 2021 after the manufacturer announced in 2020 that it intended to quit F1. Red Bull acquired the design rights to the power units under its Red Bull Powertrains division, but the two parties ultimately maintained a technical collaboration through to the end of 2025 due to the freeze in the power unit regulations.In Turkey in 2021, Verstappen and his teammate at the time, Sergio Pérez, finished the race in second and third place as Valtteri Bottas scored victory for Mercedes. The red and white Honda thank-you livery was widely loved by fans, making its return for this weekend in Japan highly popular.Why is the Honda relationship coming to an end?For all the success that Red Bull and Honda have enjoyed together, from next year, they will be rivals going against each other on the track.In February 2023, Red Bull announced that it had entered a partnership with Ford to support its powertrains division, bringing the American manufacturer back to the sport.Honda also reversed its decision to quit F1, announcing last year that it would become Aston Martin’s new works partner and supply engines to the team under the new regulations that come into force next year.Speaking about the Honda relationship, Verstappen said he carried “a lot of positive memories” across his championship victories but also through his enjoyment of working with the brand.“It’s something that I’m very proud of, that I’ve been able to share all these great moments with Honda,” Verstappen said. “The fans here in Suzuka and Japan, they’re always very passionate about Formula One in general and, of course, cheering on Honda.”Do F1 teams regularly change their liveries?It is common for teams to make tweaks or wholesale changes to their car liveries during a season to mark anniversaries or promote their sponsors.Red Bull isn’t the only team changing its livery for the Japanese GP. Haas has also opted to make some smaller tweaks, incorporating cherry blossoms to its usual design in a nod to the ongoing season in Japan.Last year, McLaren ran a yellow and green tribute livery to Ayrton Senna for the Monaco Grand Prix, commemorating the Brazilian great’s F1 success. Alpine changed its car color from blue to red at Spa to promote the Deadpool vs. Wolverine movie, starring its shareholder, Ryan Reynolds, as well as running a pink design early in the season for title sponsor BWT.Ferrari also added to its famous red color for the Miami Grand Prix, introducing some blue elements in a nod to its American racing heritage, as well as its new title sponsor, HP.(Top picture: Red Bull)
