LONDON, March 18 (Reuters) - Formula One's smallest team Haas are ready to go on the rampage with Godzilla as they take the fight to bigger rivals this season.
The U.S.-owned team, who have Toyota's motorsport division as title sponsors and are led by Japanese principal Ayao Komatsu, announced on Wednesday a season-long collaboration with Japan's Toho Co.
The studio's reptilian anti-hero, the 'King of the Monsters' who has been causing havoc across cinema screens since 1954, is the star of a new 'Godzilla Minus Zero' movie scheduled for North American release in November.
Haas said the collaboration will debut at the March 27-29 Japanese Grand Prix, with a special livery to be unveiled in Tokyo on March 24, and feature prominently at the team's home U.S. Grand Prix in Austin in October.
"Through this collaboration, get ready for Godzilla to rampage on the world’s fastest stage," said Keiji Ota, Toho's 'Chief Godzilla Officer'.
The team are currently punching above their weight in fourth place in the constructors' standings after two grands prix and a sprint race, with Britain's Oliver Bearman fifth in the drivers' championship after scoring in all three.
Eighth last season, Ferrari-powered Haas are now ahead of former champions Red Bull and only one point behind current champions McLaren.
Bearman is two points clear of McLaren's world champion Lando Norris.
Both McLaren drivers failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend while Bearman lined up 10th and finished fifth.
Red Bull had four-times world champion Max Verstappen retire from the race on Sunday while teammate Isack Hadjar was eighth.
"We beat Red Bull on merit today, so we were the fourth fastest team... which is incredible," said Komatsu after the race in Shanghai ended in a Mercedes one-two with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc third and fourth.
"The unfortunate thing for McLaren was that they couldn't take the race. We were there to take the benefit, so we just maximised everything.
"Coming out of the Bahrain test, I didn't think we could fight Red Bull at all, and also Alpine looked really quick,” added the Japanese. "(Pierre) Gasly proved that they are quick, but we’ve beaten them on merit."
Alpine's Gasly finished sixth, more than two seconds behind Bearman.
Formula One has 11 teams now but General Motors-backed newcomers Cadillac already boast a bigger headcount than Haas.
(Reporting by Alan BaldwinEditing by Christian Radnedge)
