On Sunday and Monday of this week the internet was aglow with rumor and hyperfixation, thanks to some vague marketing efforts on social media. Fans took to Reddit in an attempt to sus out what it all meant, and came to the only logical conclusion that Porsche was buying Williams Grand Prix, and bringing Gulf Oil in as the team’s title sponsor. Look, I can’t say that wouldn’t be awesome, because obviously it would. The combination of three iconic names in motorsport into one, that’s the kind of thing dreams are made of. Williams, however, says that the dream is just that, denying any part of the team is for sale to Porsche—or anyone else—now and in the future. We all know denials are worth just as much as the paper they’re written on, but this one seems pretty convincing.
“The rumours that Williams Racing is up for sale are inaccurate,” Williams’ press office told GPblog. “We are open to any discussions regarding the supply of engines with manufacturers from 2026 when the new engine regulations come in. We are happy with our relationship with Mercedes and appreciate all their efforts.”
So what started all of this speculation? On Sunday Porsche’s Formula E Instagram page deleted all of its posts and had a lone cryptic post showing a red screen with a tube-style television sitting in the middle showing a glitchy channel change and repeating a single image. According to a Reddit user with an unusual screen name, the image was a vintage clip of the now deceased Sir Frank Williams and his iconic headphone/microphone combo. I suppose I can see it, but apparently it’s completely unrelated.
On Monday, Porsche’s Instagram channel clarified that the cryptic post was just a ploy to get some attention, as it would be swapping the Formula E-specific channel over to a complete Porsche Motorsport account, encompassing the company’s efforts with the new 963 prototype as well. Wow, a complete nothing burger.
All of this was set into motion by Gulf Oil International’s Twitter post on Friday announcing “Big F1 news coming soon”, which gave fans some hope of Porsche and Gulf reuniting for an iconic run at the F1 world championship.
Big F1 news coming soon 👀
What are you most looking forward to in the new season?#GulfOil #TogetherWeAreUnstoppable #F1 #FormulaOne #Racing pic.twitter.com/ellwGyi2ZB
— Gulf Oil International (@GulfOilIntl) January 13, 2023
While Gulf’s news hasn’t yet been announced, Sports Illustrated went with the rumor that Williams and Gulf were tying up for the 2023 season. Williams’ newest junior driver, Franco Colapinto, is personally sponsored by Gulf, so the connection seems plausible at least.
Williams denying that Porsche is buying in to the team is not necessarily the done deal that it seems. We all know that in Formula One teams will deny, deny, deny when it comes to almost anything. It’s possible the ink hasn’t been put to paper yet, and they’re working out the details, it’s possible that the deal has been signed but either party isn’t ready to announce anything just yet, or it’s possible that conversations never even happened and the internet has gone wild. All I know is that with Porsche getting so close to F1 with Red Bull, the fans are looking for every way that the iconic German company can get involved in the sport. These little kernels of speculation tend to grow legs when they hit the Formula One fanbase. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
