Acura returns to F1 in Red Bull livery for the US Grand Prix this weekend

Acura is making a return to Formula 1, if only briefly. Acura branding on the rear wings of Red Bull Racing F1 cars at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix will pay homage to Honda’s luxury and performance division. Racers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will also wear Acura logos on their suits and helmets, as will the AlphaTauri squad.

After being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula 1 is back at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, promising a continuation of the multi-race showdown between Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Separated from just six points in the drivers’ standings, it’s safe to say that Verstappen’s main goal this weekend will be to extend – or at least maintain – his lead.

With all eyes and television cameras on the championship contenders, the Acura branding is projected onto tens of millions of fans around the world, something that has become something of a tradition for the Japanese automaker at North American races.

The Acura logo dates from the late 1980s and was first shown on the helmets of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the Canadian and US Grand Prix from 1989 to 1992. Much like today’s Red Bull cars, the Senna and Prost McLarens were powered by Honda engines. This tidbit really is a bit ironic considering the similarities between the Senna-Prost and Verstappen-Hamilton rivalries. Um, Monza crash.

While the drama on the track usually revolves around the drivers ‘championship, it’s the constructors’ championship – the one that actually pays the bills – that has yet to be won. In contrast to the drivers, Mercedes has the lead a little firmly under control (433.5 points vs. 397.5), but anything can happen in the remaining six races of 2021.