An incredibly unique opportunity for Japanese Manga and F1® fans to own a rare item signed by the legendary Akira Toriyama.  

Only a small number of items bearing this design are believed to have ever been printed and what makes this version so special is that it has been signed and personally gifted to Ekrem Sami, the former Head of Marketing at McLaren F1® Team, who was named by Paddock Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in F1® history.  

The artwork featured on this flag was specifically created by the Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who as well as being an iconic storyteller, was an F1® enthusiast. This flag features his illustrated characters alongside the actual McLaren-Honda MP4/5B, number 28, famously driven by Gerhard Berger. 

An Animated History  

In 1989, because of Honda’s interest in Formula 1® and the popularity of Ayrton Senna, there was a surge of attention on motorsport in Japan. Capitalizing on this newfound passion, Shūeisha, one of the largest publishers in the country, decided to sponsor McLaren’s Formula 1 racing team. Their logo could be seen on the nosecone of the 1990 McLaren for the first time.  

Shūeisha were the publishers of Weekly Shonen Jump, the best-selling weekly manga anthology publication, selling up to 9million copies weekly. This anthology included Dragon Ball, a popular manga series which was adapted into the anime Dragon Ball Z, aired in Japan from 1989 to 1996. The series would go on to be broadcast all over the world, spawning blockbuster films and games on its way to becoming an international and cultural phenomenon.  

From page to track 

Akira Toriyama loved cars and motorcycles, stemming from his father who owned an automotive shop called Toriyama Motors. Toriyama would use his artistic talent to often depict his characters alongside vehicles of interest and would pay homage to this passion in some of the introduction messages for issues of Dragon Ball. For example, in Chapter 23, he comments, “Whenever I have spare time, I go down to the motorbike mod shop. It’s so fascinating watching them work!” 

Multiple tie-ins to Shūeisha’s sponsorship of McLaren would follow including GP Boy, a two-volume manga created to commemorate the partnership, and even a two-volume manga that stars Ayrton Senna focusing on his personal driving story and rivalries. In 1990, Toriyama travelled to Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix and met Senna in person, adapting the experience into the Battleman series.  

Shūeisha’s sponsorship of McLaren ended in 1992 which also saw the end of Goku and Dragon Ball’s mascot involvement in F1®. The impact of this partnership had succeeded in building a strong base of fans, who continued following the sport, with Toriyama’s illustrations having helped create lasting iconic images of beloved anime characters driving F1® cars. 

Super Saiyan 

This item is a rare, non-commercial promotional tapestry flag from a 1990 collaboration between the Weekly Shonen Jump Manga Magazine and the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 racing team. The Japanese text "ジャンプ" (Jump) is visible at the top, and "必勝" (Hisshou) at the bottom, which translates roughly to "certain victory”.  
 
The characters featured include Goku, Bulma, Master Roshi, Kid Goku, Krillin and a depiction of Goku inside the car. The Weekly Shonen Jump logo is clearly emblazoned in yellow against the blue backdrop of the flag illustrations. There is also a white font depiction of "必勝" (Hisshō), which is a common phrase used to express determination to win, often seen in contexts like sports or elections.  

The signature of the late Akira Toriyama is clearly visible and is perfectly placed next to the illustrations without covering any of the designs. It is a fantastic example that has been kept in flawless condition for well over three decades.