Red Bull is set to replace the Honda logos on their car for the US Grand Prix, according to Racingnews365.com.
Last Sunday, Red Bull honoured their engine partners in Honda with a special livery. It was white in colour and paid homage to their history. However, the US Grand Prix will see the team go a bit local.
The team will sport Acura branding on their car’s rear wings. It will also be present on their driver suits during the weekend. As such, Red Bull is set to replace the Honda logos for the race weekend in the States.
This will be done as a marketing move for Honda, who will leave F1 at the end of this season.
Geography matters
For those not in the know, Acura is a brand under the Honda umbrella, but it is exclusive to the US and Canada. The Americans treat Acuras in higher regard than Hondas, and as such, the logos on the car will be changed to cater to the audience.
Acura is a semi-luxury brand in the North American market. It competes with Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar, and of course the luxury trinity of Mercedes, BMW and Audi. They were established in 1986, and still occupy a good portion of the market.
Acura’s appearances in F1 date all the way back to the late 1980s. Legendary drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had Acura branding on their car visors. McLaren’s engine partners at the time were Honda, and hence Acura was also promoted.
However, the Honda logos will not completely be removed for the race. It will be there on a smaller scale, with the Acura logos being more prominent. When asked why and how the move is being done, Red Bull representatives refused to comment.
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