Haas and Toho unveil Godzilla livery for Suzuka and Austin

Haas unveiled a Godzilla-themed livery created in collaboration with Toho ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, revealing the scheme at a live event in Tokyo Midtown Hibiya and applying it to the VF-26 cars. The special design retains Haas’s core white, black and red colorway while adding Godzilla artwork to the sides and rear quarter and textured detailing around the sidepods, and the launch continues a season-long partnership with Toho described as a first for both organizations. Haas confirmed the collaboration will reappear at the United States Grand Prix in Austin later this year, timed ahead of Toho’s new film Godzilla Minus Zero due November 6.

The project reinforced team and corporate ties in Japan: the team was rebranded TGR Haas F1 Team following a technical partnership with Toyota, and Haas treats Suzuka as a de facto home race because of its naming-rights relationship with Toyota Gazoo Racing. TGR Haas said the livery is intended to introduce the Godzilla brand to new audiences, while Toho executive Keiji Ota said Godzilla’s symbolism of power and resilience reflects the team’s ethos. Team principal Ayao Komatsu, who attended the launch, called the design a new milestone and said the team’s priority at Suzuka is to focus on fundamentals throughout the weekend — from FP1 and Q3 to the Race — and to get both cars into double points.

Drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman will carry the special paint at Suzuka; Ocon described the track as “the best circuit on the calendar.” Bearman entered the weekend fifth in the drivers’ standings, with his recent finishes — seventh in Australia and eighth and fifth across the sprint and grand prix in China — contributing to that position. The launch generated a positive reaction from fans and media, with some joking that Haas had "cooked" the concept, and served as both a race-week visual tribute and a broader cultural and commercial partnership among the team, Toho and Toyota.