It has not been the most enjoyable of seasons for the Haas Formula 1 team.
Drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have failed to put up the kind of consistent points for the lone American team on the grid that many expected them to as an up-and-coming team in the sport’s cramped midfield. But Haas sits ninth in the constructor standings, ahead only of Williams Racing, which has failed to produce a single finish in the points through nine races.
And coming off perhaps their worst showing of 2019 in Austria, Rich Energy — a UK-based energy drink company and the team’s title sponsor — tweeted they have terminated their contract with the team. But that’s really where the intrigue begins, as the company’s tweet was loaded with some massive backhanded comments on the sport, citing “politics and PC attitude” as “inhibiting” business.
“Today @rich_energy terminated our contract with @HaasF1Team for poor performance. We aim to beat @redbullracing & being behind @WilliamsRacing in Austria is unacceptable. The politics and PC attitude in @F1 is also inhibiting our business. We wish the team well #F1 #richenergy.”
Gene Haas, of course, also is part owner of NASCAR’s Stewart-Haas racing with Tony Stewart, which outfits six teams between the Monster Energy Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
The announcement from Rich comes just two days before the British Grand Prix and cancels out what reportedly was a multi-year deal in just its first season.
