Scuderia AlphaTauri has taken delivery of a HondaJet Elite. The investment is considered to be a natural choice, as its Red Bull sponsored Formula One motor racing team is powered by Honda engines. The aircraft will be mainly operated in Europe and used for multiple purposes, including transporting drivers, other athletes and officers, and previewing racing circuits.

After the very light jet's arrival at Rheinland Air Service's (RAS) headquarters at Mönchengladbach airport in Germany, RAS provided the Red Bull crew with expert HondaJet pilot base training. RAS, operating as HondaJet Europe, is the exclusive European dealer and authorised service centre for HondaJet aircraft, including the new Elite. HondaJet Europe offers sales and approved pilot training, as well as EASA and FAA certified HondaJet service.

The aircraft's next destination was Red Bull's Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria. Hangar-7 is home to a prized collection of unique airplanes and helicopters that are part of aviation history. “We are pleased to be able to welcome a new member to the Flying Bull's fleet with the HondaJet HA-420 Elite,” states Helmut Marko, advisor to the Red Bull F1 racing team, during the official handover at RAS' headquarters. “This marks another step in the great cooperation between Honda and Red Bull.”

Jet turbine engineers from Honda Aircraft also collaborated on turbocharger improvements in the latest Spec 3 engine upgrade to Red Bull's Formula One race car. Both the car and jet share other engineering similarities, such as advanced aerodynamics, carbon composite construction and fuel efficiency.

“The HondaJet is ideal because it is particularly efficient on short and medium-distance routes. It will be used by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri as part of our Formula 1 cooperation,” Marko continues. “The success of this global partnership between Honda and Red Bull has also been shown in MotoGP for many years.”

Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino adds: “I am delighted that Red Bull has chosen to add the HondaJet Elite to its fleet. Formula 1 Racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world, and we are pleased to be able to offer the Red Bull team a competitive edge through our aircraft's unrivalled efficiency, performance and comfort. With an industry leading dispatch reliability, the HondaJet Elite is perfect for professional athletes who need safe, reliable and quick travel from city to city. We are also deepening its commitment to all of our European customers by constructing a new flight training centre in the UK, and strengthening the service network in the region."