Oracle Red Bull Racing stated on November 17, 2022 that they will be using an NFT on their team cars for the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. They will be working with their Principal Team Partner, Bybit, and Azuki developer, Chiru Labs.
This will be the first time in the history of the sport that a team incorporates an NFT on their cars, which represents a significant accomplishment for Oracle Red Bull Racing, its partners Bybit and Chiru Labs, and Formula 1 as a whole.
The Team Principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, said in a statement regarding the announcement that “to be the first to place a blue-chip NFT on a Formula One car is a huge feat.” The nature of our sport requires us to always push the envelope.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will be riding alongside one another as they try to end their record-breaking season with a triumph, including Lei the Lighting Azuki, who was given the NFT moniker.
Lei the Lightning Azuki is based on Azuki #8494, an original Azuki from Chiru Labs’ collection of anime-inspired artifacts, and it represents the merging of the physical and digital realms.
The persona is a fearless and aggressive racer with unmatched focus and drive. The NFT is a perfect fit to represent Oracle Red Bull Racing because when it enters the enchanted realm known as The Garden, it gains the ability to harness the power of lightning to improve its speed and power while racing.
This statement also highlights the diversity of all the partners who contributed to the development of this ground-breaking project, including Chiru Labs, a company that develops NFTS, and Bybit, a well-known cryptocurrency exchange.
Christian Horner remarked, “Our collaboration with Bybit and Azuki has been an excellent method to help us explore the Web3 environment. “In many ways, it has opened our eyes to the numerous options provided by Web3 for us. This one-of-a-kind creation is the ideal fusion of imagination, ingenuity, and enthusiasm, which is consistent with our trackside ethos.
Fans of the squad will also have the opportunity to acquire a limited-edition NFT that will be coined on the Tezos blockchain and made freely available on a first-come, first-served basis to celebrate the historic season.
The co-founder and CEO of Bybit, Ben Zhou, said: “This is a distinctive work of art and a timeless moment. Lei the Lightning Azuki and this special cooperation promise to produce amazing results. He is such an intriguing figure and a link between the communities of racing, crypto, and NFT. We are confident that everyone will be eager to acquire a piece of history.
Starting on November 20, 2022, the 8,494 Lei the Lightning NFTs that are available will be minted for free on the Bybit NFT marketplace. For people who preregister on Bybit’s website beginning at 9 AM on November 17, 2022, through 8 PM on November 19, 2022, one of up to 7,700 of these NFTs will be made accessible.