The astonishing bravado behind Haas's extreme makeover

Being inconspicuous in a high-profile, global championship at the pinnacle of a sport is quite difficult, but modern Formula 1 newcomers tend to adopt modest targets as a matter of caution. Nobody wants to be the 1999 BAR of the current grid, declaring grand ambitions and falling well short.

The launch of Haas's new-for-2019 livery and identity was a departure from that recent tradition. Team boss Gunther Steiner and his drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were as guarded as you might expect from seasoned F1 competitors before testing has even begun. But in the space of 24 hours, William Storey, the CEO of new Haas title sponsor Rich Energy, did not just avoid the usual script. He tore it to shreds.

Storey compared critics of his energy drinks company to those who claim the moon landing was faked, or believe that Elvis is still alive. He said critics are "not on the same planet" as him. He eyed challenging Red Bull on-track with Haas, which he labelled the best-run team with "the best business model" in F1. Off track, he wants to take serious business away from the world leader in energy drinks.

His reasons, he says, are simple. "I just try to speak as I see it. We're a very straightforward business. We're not into politics. We're just in the drinks business."

You could call Storey many things - eccentric, bold, straight-talking. He is undeniably unconventional, and arguably a breath of fresh air in an F1 world that often reeks of stale, corporate jargon.

If you're looking for something more tangible, the big, fat truth is that his company has now completely taken over the look of 2018's fifth-best team in F1. Whether you like him or not, or believe in Rich Energy, he's earned the benefit of the doubt. So, let's give him the floor.

"We have not got where we have got by following the crowd," says Storey. "We are a bit contrarian by nature and when others are fearful, be greedy.

"There are an awful lot of people who are querying F1 as a platform at the moment and I personally believe that it is going to go from strength to strength. It is going to remain the pinnacle long-term, it has a brand value that I think is unprecedented in sport.

"Therefore for us it is a great platform and we intend to be in F1 long, long-term. We believe that Haas are absolutely a dream partner for us. It is David taking on the Goliaths in F1, and we are doing the same in the drinks business."

It's bold - very bold - for Haas to target beating Red Bull in 2019. Steiner, Grosjean and Magnussen supported their new sponsor's claim in a way, defending the right to be extremely ambitious on the grounds that major success is not possible if you don't target it. Accept the status quo and that's all you'll get. Which makes sense enough. And Storey is clearly very anti-status quo.

He wants his company to be in F1 so it can grow its profile by being pitched directly against Red Bull, the world's best-selling energy drink. Again, the swagger kicks in.

"We are expanding very quickly, we are taking a huge amount of business from them," he says. "Some of the biggest drinks distributors in Europe are delisting Red Bull now, and I think our results will start to speak for themselves.

"As far as I'm concerned anyone who says Rich Energy doesn't exist it's like saying man never walked on the moon, or Elvis is still alive" William Storey

"Red Bull is a brilliantly run business. Dietrich Mateschitz is a very clever guy. He created a category in 1987, we just feel that we have a better product and a better brand. And we feel that there is a little bit of apathy and hubris in the marketplace and we think that we have a real opportunity to beat them - off the track."

There are plenty who are sceptical that Rich Energy can do that. However, Haas's VF-19 is completely decked out in the colours of the lesser-spotted cans - which were present and available at the launch, so they do exist - and the team has been formally entered as Rich Energy Haas F1.

Where evidence is lacking, turn to balance of probability. Team founder Gene Haas is a self-made millionaire, a machinist-turned-founder of his eponymous major tool manufacturing business. Would Haas, who founded his company in 1983 and grew it into one of the largest machine tool builders in the world, hand over half of the name and the entire livery of the F1 team he founded to grow his business's profile to people who would not pay? Or from whom payment, of some degree, has not already been received? You could argue that as the team had space for the sponsorship, it loses nothing except giving away something for nothing by taking a risk. But apparently, money has already changed hands.

Williams and McLaren also had discussions with Storey late last year, so it's not like one distant team owner has been hoodwinked. Storey says there were "a lot" of options on the table and the teams he spoke to "put in very, very good proposals". It seems Rich Energy had the pick of a pretty decent bunch.

The reason we are limited to educated guesses over Haas's new backer is because it's difficult to scrutinise Rich Energy's financial status. The limited evidence on Companies House, where British firms detail their accounts, only documents up to September 2017, and reflects a small business with three employees. It had fixed assets - such as land or buildings - valued at £1,708,811 and current assets - stock or cash - that doubled compared to 2016 to reach £1,002,851. Subtracting its £1.3million owed to creditors left the shareholders' fund at £868,868.

Further, robust examination is tough. Rich Energy cans are tough to spot, although Storey says a fair explanation of this is because it has so far been an exclusive product not available off-the-shelf. This is what led him to declare: "We've just produced 90 million cans. As far as I'm concerned anyone who says it doesn't exist it's like saying man never walked on the moon, or Elvis is still alive. It's just fantasy."

You only need to look at social media to see that there are people who clearly think that of Rich Energy itself. That's not hugely surprising given the limited amount of substance, as documented above, that's accessible behind all the style.

But while Storey and a couple of others - a keep-fit instructor and pub manager - are the only names listed as directors of the company it does supposedly have the backing of several "sterling billionaires". Storey says there are seven shareholders, and specifically names West Ham United Football Club co-owner David Sullivan as one. Sullivan's West Ham co-owner, and former pornography business partner, David Gold has been reported to be another. That's grounds for a simple case of there not being much money in the business right now, but a lot behind it. It's not uncommon for companies to operate based on shareholder injections.

"It is worth noting actually that he [Sullivan] doesn't necessarily get the best PR, but he has made more than £1million profit in 20 different businesses, which is simply unprecedented," says Storey. "He is often lazily labelled, but he is actually a ferociously smart guy who is a brilliant businessman."

There's little more that can be said about the company itself, but in an F1 context Rich Energy has been a curious case study since it was irrepressibly linked with Force India during the team's turbulent 2018 season.

Force India distanced itself from Storey's claims last year that it was in discussions to buy the team and had later tabled a bid. Its final attempt was a £30million sponsorship proposal that was dismissed because it was not deemed an offer that would help the team. The proposed pair of £15m instalments were considered insubstantial by the judge given the weight of the team's debt and it was considered better to place Force India into administration.

Eventually, Lawrence Stroll's consortium was picked by administrators, something Storey is still sore about. Stroll paid £90m for Force India's assets before creating a new company and lodging a new entry with the FIA, under the Racing Point name. Russian company Uralkali claimed to bid higher, and Storey says Rich Energy also "put in a bigger bid than Stroll to buy Force India, as a whole rather than a fire-sale of the assets".

Even if you are not sure of the product, be certain that Storey will say what he thinks

But it was not that simple. The administrators said Racing Point was the only party focusing on rescuing Force India as a going concern, while the other bids involved only the purchase of the business and assets of the company. They struck an exclusivity agreement with Racing Point that stated it would become an asset sale if the share acquisition was not completed by August 14.

The share sale was reliant on approval from the Indian banks that had frozen Vijay Mallya's assets. So, this didn't happen in time. Racing Point's proposal had included a "fall back offer" to acquire the business and assets for £90m. That's where that figure comes from.

Storey describes it as a "welcome to F1" affair, but while there's logic behind the move that annoyed him it's not entirely fair to completely dismiss his criticism. The computer consultant in charge of a small national company shared a similar position to a billion-dollar international business. Even if you side with the judge and the administrators and believe Stroll's offer was the best, you have to respect that Storey's stance is hardly outlandish given Uralkali was so aggrieved it claimed to be taking legal action.

The aftermath of that process was Storey declaring Rich Energy would be in F1 sooner or later and he has proved as good as his word. He says he has been consistent all the time, and that his detractors have not been in possession of the facts: "Actions speak louder than words. At the end of the day when the tide goes out we see who is swimming naked, don't we?"

Every facet of his addresses is striking. The look of the car, the reasons for choosing Haas, what Haas can achieve or what Rich Energy can achieve. Without specifically naming McLaren and Williams - the title-winning teams in trouble that nevertheless stand among the most successful in F1 history - Storey says Haas was "head and shoulders" above the rest of the company's options for a partnership.

Haas has possession of more facts than anyone on the outside and if it is convinced, and it seems to be, then regardless of whether you think Neil Armstrong walked on the moon nearly 50 years ago you can afford to regard Rich Energy with some sincerity. And if it sticks around for the "long, long-term" as planned, this will not be the last we hear from the company's colourful ambassador. Even if you are not sure of the product, be certain that Storey will say what he thinks.

Is he no-bullshit? That depends on whether you believe what he says. Regardless, the company he represents will have a very prominent place on the F1 grid in 2019. That has earned it, and the man in charge, the right to prove this audacious bravado is not just annoying bluster.