Sponsors have been an important part of Formula 1 since its inception, names and logos are a must on cars, but sometimes things go wrong.

In this special of GPF Fanswe take a look at some of the most notable announcers in sports history.

With millions of spectators around the world, F1 is one of the biggest podiums. This offers businesses and organizations a tremendous opportunity to Put your service or product in the spotlight.

Over the years, hundreds of brands, from the biggest to the smallest, have been reviewed at the World Championship. Both internationally active industrial giants and start-ups hoping to make a name for themselves by shining in one of the cars.

Those who bring a large bag of cash can usually find a seat in one of the cars. However, these collaborations sometimes lead to strange situations. And let’s take a closer look some of the most curious today.

Tyrrell – Xena Warrior Princess

Starting with the Tyrrell team, which competed in 463 Formula 1 Grands Prix between 1970 and 1998. With a total of 33 victories, one Constructors’ Championship and three Drivers’ Championships, Tyrrell was far from legendary. In 1997, the formation fell into the back of the grid.

As a result, he had a lot of trouble finding sponsors and therefore has decided to partner temporarily with Xena: Warrior Princess. Yes seriously.

It was a very popular television series at the time, starring actress Lucy Lawless. Her partner was played by Renée O’Connor.

Both ladies appeared in large on-board photos during the British Grand Prix, resulting in a notable presence. At that time the drivers were Mika Salo and a certain Jos Verstappen.

John Surtees-Durex

The next story is a bit more controversial. Or at least, at the time, it was considered a big scandal. John Surtees entered Formula 1 in 1970 with his namesake team, but without good results.

Five seasons later, Surtees had only made the podium once, after which the financial need was great. The British company Durex entered. Rubber maker ‘Umm’ was ready to take a bag of cash in exchange for a seat in the car. And it happened.

In 1976, the condom manufacturer made its appearance in Formula 1. It caused a sensation. In Britain in particular, people thought it was impossible.

He even went as far as the 1976 Formula One season was largely unaired in the UK. Meanwhile, James Hunt and Niki Lauda fought in one of the most storied title fights in sports history that year.

However, not all the curious collaborations between Formula 1 teams and sponsors have caused controversy. Some are just funny. Like when Red Bull Racing arrived at the start in Monaco in 2005 with an authentic Star Wars car.

That year, the Austrian formation took part in Formula 1 for the first time. The dark blue decoration redeemed for a Star Wars sticker pack for this race. It was a unique collaboration, but the Sith Lord himself had some of his stormtroopers with him.

Force India – Havaianas

The Red Bull Racing stunt was of course a smart move from a marketing perspective. something for they were unopposed at Force India in 2018.

That year, the halo was attached to the car for the first time as a safety measure. Now it has repeatedly proven itself, but at first there was a lot of criticism.

It would just be an ugly thing that looks a lot like a slipper. And that rang a bell in the Force India team. An agreement was quickly reached with the famous flip-flop brand Havaianas which, yes, appeared in the halo.

Rich energy

Finally: rich energy. An energy drink as a sponsor in Formula 1, nothing new now. But this drink has not been around for so long.

Rich Energy CEO William Storey originally wanted to take charge of the Force India team but was outbid by Lawrence Stroll.

The Canadian would later rename the team today’s Aston Martin. SO, Rich Energy partners with the Haas team in the 2019 season, appearing on the track in the gold and black livery known to many fans.

The American team received the first deposits for the collaboration, but after that the situation quickly began to spiral out of control. Rich Energy was not sued much later by British bicycle manufacturer Whyte, for allegedly misappropriating its logo.

In July of that year, something strange happened again. Rich Energy released a message on social media out of the blue, announcing that the deal with Haas had been canceled with immediate effect. The reason? The performance was disappointing. Haas himself said he didn’t know, which created a very unusual situation.

There was speculation that Storey was short of money. In September, Haas itself terminated the agreement because Rich Energy was no longer paying the agreed amounts.

A hard blow for the team, which was no longer doing very well financially. Storey has largely faded from view, but the saga around the dodgy drink is regularly given a new chapter.

For example, the British “businessman” regularly mysteriously alludes to a return to Formula 1, although it’s safe to assume that neither team wants to work with the godfather any further.