Red Bull ace Max Verstappen given $147,000 car by Honda during Thanks Day event in Japan

Honda as a team is huge in Japan, and their association with Red Bull has drawn in large support from the local crowd in F1. Max Verstappen and other Red Bull stars from different racing categories took part in a thanks day event in Japan over the weekend.

Joining Verstappen were Sergio Perez and AlphaTauri drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda. We also saw legendary MotoGP driver Marc Márquez at Motegi on Saturday, where he spent time talking to Verstappen. He and the other drivers across Honda’s two-wheel and four-wheel motorsport stables took to the crowd to thank the Japanese company for their efforts over the course of the season. 

This was an event that was regular before the Covid 19 pandemic hit. However, this weekend’s Thanks Day was the first since 2019, and it was memorable. Gasly got behind the wheels of the AT01, which was the first-ever AlphaTauri-branded car. Tsunoda too got to drive in front of his home fans for the second time this season.

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Honda gifts $147,000 NSX Type-R car to Max Verstappen

Verstappen became a World Champion for the first time in 2021 after a grueling fight for the Title alongside Hamilton. The duel between them was so close that it could only be settled on the final lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. His win was also very controversial, since then race director Michael Masi’s decision-making heavily influenced his victory.

This year, on the other hand, no one can deny that Verstappen deserved the Title. He just had a record-breaking season with 15 race wins and coasted towards his second consecutive Title win. The RB18 was the most superior car on track by far, but considering how far behind his own teammate was, Verstappen’s brilliance was on full display in 2022.

Even though Honda officially left Red Bull and AlphaTauri at the end of 2021, they remain closely linked with them. The two of them are still working together on their powertrains department, so a huge reason behind Verstappen and Red Bull’s success was Honda’s PU. To thank Verstappen for his extraordinary season, Honda gifted him a $147,000 NSX Type-R car.

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