IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is bringing the GUNDAM franchise to the Formula 1® grid by partnering with Scuderia AlphaTauri S.p.A. for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, which takes place Nov. 16-18. The sponsorship adds GUNDAM decals of the RX-78-2 GUNDAM and XVX-016 GUNDAM Aerial next to the drivers’ helmets on the headrests of the Scuderia AlphaTauri AT04s as they battle for points around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit™.
The partnership between Bandai Namco’s GUNDAM brand and the Scuderia AlphaTauri racing team goes beyond traditional Formula 1® sponsorships and includes activations at the Las Vegas Grand Prix that are sure to be memorable for fans. These include nearly seven-foot tall GUNDAM statues, livery decals added to the AT04s, and a promotional video by driver Yuki Tsunoda in an iconic GUNDAM-inspired racing suit. Also commemorating the partnership is a unique custom-designed Perfect-Grade Unleashed model of the Mobile Suit RX-78-2 GUNDAM with exclusive Scuderia AlphaTauri decals and colors (for display only). All new GUNDAM features, including RX-78-2 and Yuki Tsunoda artwork inspired by Scuderia AlphaTauri, have been created for the event as well. For the race weekend, two GUNDAM BASE POP-UP Stores will be available around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit area.
“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,” said Karim Farghaly, senior vice president of corporate development at Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. “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.”
Since its debut in 1979, the GUNDAM franchise has centered around gifted pilots commanding technologically advanced machines – mirroring the same technological vision the Bandai Namco GUNDAM team sees in Formula 1® racing. The GUNDAM franchise first started as an anime and now spans a collection of toys and collectibles, animated series, feature-length films, and a wide variety of video games. To learn more about GUNDAM, please visit https://en.gundam.info/spc.
“GUNDAM is a globally recognized and beloved media franchise with passionate fans in every corner of the world. We immediately embraced the GUNDAM spirit and are delighted to welcome them as a partner of Scuderia AlphaTauri for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix,” said Fabian Wrabetz, Director of Marketing and Communication at Scuderia AlphaTauri. “This will be a collaboration to remember with multiple on and off-track activations that will push the limits of fan engagement in a fun and exciting way.”
Learn more about GUNDAM by visiting the official website, watch the Yuki Tsunoda promotional video, and watch full episodes for free of the recent MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE WITCH FROM MERCURY series. https://en.gundam.info/spc. Follow all the GUNDAM news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ GUNDAMInfoNA and Twitter: https://twitter.com/ GUNDAMInfoNA
For press only, static assets are available at the Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. press room at www.bneapressroom.com; a library of video trailers ready for embedding are available on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/BandaiNamcoEntertainmentAmerica.
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About Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., part of the Bandai Namco Group, is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for major video game consoles, PC, online, and mobile platforms. The company is known for creating many of the industry’s beloved classic franchises such as PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®, and publishing the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS™ series and the blockbuster title ELDEN RING™. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is also the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games including GUNDAM™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE®. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com.
About Scuderia AlphaTauri
Scuderia AlphaTauri is an Italian Formula One racing team, one of two Red Bull-owned teams. From 2006 to 2019 it was known as Scuderia Toro Rosso and since 2020 the team is named after the fashion brand AlphaTauri which was founded by Red Bull in 2016 as brand extension in the fashion world. “Challenging the status quo for excellence” summarize the shared mindset of this strategical partnership. United by the Red Bull heritage, both parties are pioneers in their own field and come together to push boundaries through innovations, in motorsport and in fashion. Our team is Italian at heart, but it is made up of no fewer than 35 nationalities, with people from all around the world. What has not changed is the team’s commitment to bringing on young talent, in terms of its drivers and also of its workforce, and it is now a major player on the world motorsport stage with a highly trained group of people at its core.
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