Italian Racing Team Is Putting Gundam On An F1 Car

GUNDAM x SCUDERIA ALPHATAURI – FORMULA 1 Collaboration - YouTube - 0-0-50

At the end of next week, dozens of drivers will compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix as they battle for points around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. You might be thinking “wait a minute, why is a geek culture website reporting on Formula One?” But you read the title, you know why: one racing team is teaming up with Bandai Namco for the race to plaster it in Gundam goodies.

Bandai Namco announced in a press release that it had teamed up with F1 racing team Scuderia AlphaTauri in a sponsorship deal that will see Gundam decals on the drivers’ headrests and vehicles during the race.

Related: One Of Gundam’s Most Popular Anime Series Is Making A Return

It’s not necessarily a one-way promotion, either — there’s a custom-designed Perfect-Grade Unleashed model of the Mobile Suit RX-78-2 Gundam decorated in Scuderia AlphaTauri decals and colors, although sadly it won’t be for sale.

There will also be two Gundam pop-up stores available at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit throughout the event, and a few seven-foot tall Gundam statues scattered about the place, too. Sure, it’s all just a bit of marketing, but it is cool marketing at least.

Bandai Namco says that the story of Gundam closely matches the challenges faced by Formula 1 drivers, with senior vice president of corporate development Karim Farghaly saying it wanted to create a memorable experience.

“One of the longest running Sci-Fi franchises in the world, GUNDAM has always been able to connect with fans all around the globe with its featured themes of heroism, standing up to adversity, and overcoming tremendous odds, mirroring in fiction the real-life challenges Formula 1 drivers face each and every race,” Farghaly said, “We partnered with Scuderia AlphaTauri because of their vision and cooperation to help bring GUNDAM to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in a way that will be memorable and meaningful to both Formula 1 fans and GUNDAM fans alike.”

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place between November 16 and November 18, 2023.