Red Bull teases clue to special Honda farewell livery

Red Bull has hinted on social media that it is set to pay tribute to departing engine partner Honda, with a special one-off livery for its cars at the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Japanese manufacturer will officially depart Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season after a tenure in which it has accumulated so far 15 Grand Prix wins, including Pierre Gasly's shock triumph at Monza in 2020.

But there's a strong chance that Honda will add to that tally this year as Red Bull and Max Verstappen contends for the world title.

On Wednesday, Red Bull tweeted a short message in which the Japanese word 'arigatou' or 'thank you' was displayed against a white and red backdrop - Honda's colours - infused with a subliminal burst of Red Bull Racing blue and red.

The message was preceded by a caption that included a pair of eyes and the word 'soon'.

The post was widely interpreted as a harbinger for an upcoming livery tribute that could come as early as this weekend's round of racing at Istanbul Park.

While Honda will officially depart the grid at the end of this season, it will nevertheless remain involved as a supplier to Red Bull.

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The Milton Keynes-based outfit will takeover its partner's engine program, bringing the development of the power unit in-house in a dedicated facility that is currently under construction.

However, Red Bull will continue to receive in 2022 its units directly from Honda's Sakura factory in Japan as part of the manufacturer's transition away from F1.

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