The 'billion dollar brand' supposedly eyeing a Formula 1 return

Everybody's favorite former Formula 1 team title sponsor is once again hinting that a return could be on the horizon, even as every past return rumor has resulted in absolutely nothing of substance from anything other than their social media accounts.

Rich Energy's time in Formula 1 came to an end before the 2019 season ended, as their partnership, which was suspicious to many from the start, with the Haas team was ill-fated and ended with a comedic string of outbursts from founder and CEO William Storey. Who could forget the legendary Haas milkfloat?

But since the start of the 2021 season, Storey has been teasing a return to the sport.

He discussed Rich Energy potentially joining Formula 1 as an 11th team, joining via the acquisition of an existing team, and also the possibility of returning as a title sponsor. He referred to the return as the "greatest comeback since Lazarus", indicating a deal was done.

Rich Energy eyeing Formula 1 return?

At one point, he even said that he had a deal in place, but that it supposedly wasn't able to be revealed until the following season. The following season, at that point, was 2022.

Bear in mind, at no point did any reputable media source so much as mention these discussions, but it was enough to cause a stir on social media, given the stigma surrounding him and the brand after their 2019 Haas disaster -- and the claim that they had even been in the running to acquire Force India in 2018.

Despite the brand still being nowhere to be found in the Formula 1 world, the British businessman is doing it again.

Storey, who claims that Rich Energy is a "billion dollar brand", noted that he hopes to get to work with legendary designed Adrian Newey, with Newey set to end his relationship with Red Bull at the end of the year.

Storey has never been one to shy away from taking digs at Red Bull, and even as the world-renowned energy drinks company have largely dominated Formula 1 since 2022, that hasn't changed.

To our knowledge, a nonexistent Rich Energy Formula 1 team is not among the list of candidates said to be making a push for Newey's services.

Keep in mind, Storey is an individual who has done nothing but criticize the prospects of the much-discussed Andretti entry, despite the fact that it is a legitimate entry that would indeed bring value to Formula 1.

At one point, he retweeted Mario Andretti and instructed Michael to "get in line, son", implying that Rich Energy are ahead in the queue to bring their own program to the Formula 1 world (that nobody, of course, knows about).

He was unsurprisingly glad to learn that their entry was rejected for 2026.

The availability of Rich Energy itself remains a major question, just as it has been since the Haas deal was announced in 2018. Storey's other supposed business ventures, which include Wolf Data Systems and Wolf Jerky, are also clouded with uncertainty and suspicion.

The subject of Rich Energy and Storey has become somewhat of a meme in Formula 1 circles online.

Alas, a large part of any sport is the entertainment value, and Storey and company certainly bring that wherever they go. It just doesn't look as though they will be going back to Formula 1 anytime soon.