Racing
© Spencer
Williams has launched a first-of-its-kind Marvel crossover that puts Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz and team principal James Vowles inside a special one-shot comic as they team up with Iron Man, Black Widow and Captain America to stop Doctor Doom during the Formula 1 season.
The project was announced in Miami, where Williams is using the grand prix weekend as the starting point for a wider fan campaign. Pre-orders are available in the Williams Fan Zone, which is also hosting Marvel-themed activations including a mural and a giant comic-cover photo opportunity.
Williams said the story is set in the middle of an active racing season, with Albon, Sainz and Vowles facing their “biggest challenge yet” as Doctor Doom threatens the calendar. Alongside the three Williams figures, the comic will feature a wider cast of Marvel characters beyond the headline trio of Iron Man, Black Widow and Captain America.
The release will begin with a special edition at the Monaco Grand Prix in June. Event-exclusive variant covers are also planned for Silverstone, Madrid, Singapore, Austin and Las Vegas, before the full comic reaches comic shops across the United States in October.
Luke Timmins, Williams director of merchandise and licensing, said the collaboration is designed to extend the team’s reach beyond its existing fan base. “Alex and Carlos are already heroes to our millions of fans, and now they get to prove it in print by uniting with the Marvel Super Heroes to save racing from Doctor Doom,” he said.
Timmins said Williams hoped the crossover would open the team up to new audiences through a very different format. He called it the first time the two worlds had been brought together and said the aim was to give fans “another way to find and fall in love with our iconic Atlassian Williams F1 Team.”
He added that Miami was the right place to launch it, with the race-by-race special editions giving the campaign a global run through the season. “There is no better place than Miami to launch a unique collaboration like this, and with special edition covers for races around the world the story is only just beginning.”