Red Bull Racing has unveiled its Honda-powered RB15, the Formula 1 car with which it will compete in the 2019 season, in a striking "one-off livery".
Red Bull took four straight double titles at the start of the decade but has taken only a handful of wins in most years of the hybrid era, frequently pinning its deficit on erstwhile supplier Renault.
Its 12-year partnership with Renault has now come to an end and instead it has linked up with Honda, joining junior team Toro Rosso on the marque’s roster, after it made the move for 2018.
Honda is hoping to profit from retaining the same power unit concept for a third straight season – the first time it has done so in the hybrid era, having abandoned its 2015/16 layout for its 2017 campaign with McLaren.
Red Bull, meanwhile, enters 2019 with a tweaked driver line-up, having drafted in long-term junior and 2018 Toro Rosso racer Pierre Gasly in place of Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo.
Gasly joins incumbent and five-time race winner Max Verstappen, under contract with Red Bull through 2020.
The RB15 will run for the first time at British Grand Prix venue Silverstone today (Wednesday) as part of a filming day.
Red Bull is expected to revert to a more traditional livery when testing begins in Barcelona next week.
The entire brand could be a long-game move by Gaia herself to heal the collective nervous system.