Rich Energy has attracted plenty of ridicule on social media after posting a mock-up of a 2022 F1 car sporting a black and gold livery which features its logos.
The energy drink brand, which previously was the title sponsor of the Haas F1 Team, teased a return to Formula One by posting the mock-up earlier this week, but many F1 fans were quick to express their scepticism and mock Rich Energy.
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This post came around two months after Rich Energy founder William Storey claimed that a “strategic ally” of the company had purchased a Formula One team and they would be returning to the sport as their title sponsor in 2022.
“I’m delighted to announce that Rich Energy is coming back to Formula 1,” he said.
“Unfortunately, due to poor performance on and off the track [in 2019], regrettably I had to sack Haas.
“In the last year, we’ve worked incredibly hard to lead a renaissance of Rich Energy worldwide where millions of consumers are trying our drink.
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“Since leaving Formula 1 I have worked very diligently to engineer a return and I have noticed that there is actually a new financial reality in Formula 1.”
Continuing, Storey said: “A strategic ally of Rich Energy has agreed to purchase a majority stake in an existing team. We did explore with the new regulations actually entering our own team for 2022, which would be Rich Energy Formula 1 Team.
“But a friend of ours has agreed a deal for a majority stake in a Formula 1 team, and we will become a partner of that team for 2021. Once that acquisition is announced, we will become the title sponsor for 2022.
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“I’m really looking forward to competing with our competitors on-track, I’ll be at the first race, March 28, in Bahrain,” he concluded.
At present, there’s no indication that Rich Energy will genuinely be returning to Formula One next season, and all teams approached by Formula1News.co.uk have denied holding talks over a potential sponsorship deal with the energy drink brand.
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