Formula 1: The ‘billion dollar brand’ that debuted in Melbourne

How long has it been since Formula 1 raced in Melbourne? The most recent Australian Grand Prix marked the F1 debut of a so-called “billion dollar brand”.

The last time Formula 1 visited Albert Park Circuit was in March 2020, when the Australian Grand Prix was scheduled to kick off a record-breaking 22-race schedule.

Formula 1 ended up not running a race until early July with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, as the Australian Grand Prix, along with several other races, were canceled as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions. The 2020 season ended up consisting of just 17 races.

Unfortunately, the Australian Grand Prix was one of the casualties in 2021 as well, as Formula 1 didn’t even make the trip Down Under.

But there is finally set to be a race at the 14-turn, 3.28-mile (5.279-kilometer) road course in Melbourne, Australia this weekend.

And there is perhaps no better way to put into perspective just how long ago the most recent Australian Grand Prix was than by discussing the infamous brand which made their Formula 1 debut in that race.

The last time the Australian Grand Prix was held was in March 2019, when it kicked off the season. Lewis Hamilton was a five-time world champion seeking his third consecutive title, Charles Leclerc was making his Ferrari debut, and Max Verstappen had five career wins to his name.

And Rich Energy were making their debut as a Formula 1 title sponsor.

The British beverage company, led by founder and CEO William Storey, had signed a deal to become the title sponsor of the Haas Formula 1 team ahead of the 2019 season, and this was the first race in which the black and gold VF-19 took to the track.

Teammates Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen qualified in sixth and seventh place, respectively. Grosjean was forced to retire with a wheel issue while Magnussen finished in sixth.

As the season progressed, things were relatively quiet surrounding Storey and his brand. But when the summer months hit, things turned quite bizarre.

A crazy yet somewhat comical sequence of events, which included a number of legal battles, led to Haas and Rich Energy cutting ties well before the 2019 season ended.

Before the 2021 season, Storey claimed that his brand was returning to Formula 1, but a lack of details surrounding the supposed “Chapter 2” led to skepticism. He called the return the “greatest comeback since Lazarus”, but as the 2021 season neared, it was obvious that nothing was happening.

Indeed, nothing happened for 2021, so he began making claims that the return would actually be happening in 2022. As the 2021 season progressed, he hyped up this 2022 return, and he even launched the Rich Energy F1 Fanzone in an attempt to “make fans central to the team and make the sport more accessible”.

To this day, nobody really knows what the Rich Energy F1 Fanzone is, and it stands to reason, considering the fact that, once again, nothing has happened as far as the brand’s return to Formula 1.

When it became obvious that Rich Energy would not be competing in 2022, Storey, who also serves as the CEO of Wolf Data Systems and the managing director of Wolf Jerky, stated that “several teams have objected to us returning to F1”, adding that “legal analysis is pending”.

He later told the Andretti family to “get in line” regarding Michael Andretti potentially joining the sport in 2024 with a new entry, Andretti Global. He responded to a tweet from racing legend Mario Andretti.

He went on to indicate, yet again, that a return was on the way, this time after Haas abruptly cut ties with title sponsor Uralkali.

Yet again, nothing happened.

Afterward, he reshared an old picture of the VF-19 and referred to Rich Energy as a “billion dollar brand”, prompting fans to respond with a number of sarcastic remarks, such as those urging him to move the car out of the way so they could see which billion dollar brand to which he was referring.

Now back to the real world.

Just how long has it been since the last time Formula 1 raced at Albert Park Circuit?

Rich Energy literally made their debut in that race. And the rest is history.

Tune in to ESPN at 1:00 a.m. ET this Sunday, April 10 for the live broadcast of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit. Start your free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss it!