Bizarrely, Atlus will sponsor Haas for this week's F1 Singapore Grand Prix in honour of Metaphor: ReFantazio

Atlus will sponsor the Haas racing team at this weekend’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix to celebrate the forthcoming release of Metaphor: ReFantazio.

If that seems like an odd pairing, there’s actually a clear crossover. Metaphor features a red-headed elven knight called Hulkenberg, while Nico Hülkenberg is one of the drivers for the Haas F1 team.

Naturally, then, both Hulkenberg and the game’s protagonist will adorn the noses of cars driven by Hülkenberg and teammate Kevin Magnussen respectively.

A grand high fantasy anime RPG and an F1 race fuelled by modern technology don’t appear to have a lot in common. Atlus, though, would beg to differ.

“Overcoming fear and anxiety is a central theme in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and being featured on the racecars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen – drivers known for defying the impossible – perfectly mirrors our game, where players beat the odds in their chase for the crown in the Royal Tournament,” said Irvin Ducournau, director of marketing at Atlus.