The Sauber-owned Formula 1 team will alternate between its rebadged Stake F1 Team branding and Kick F1 team across the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to marketing decisions.
After a six-year title partnership with Alfa Romeo ended in 2023, the Hinwil-based outfit announced on New Year’s Day that its new team name will be Stake F1 Team.
Sauber has also sold the naming rights of its upcoming Formula 1 chassis to Stake subsidiary and streaming platform, Kick, ahead of its transition to Audi from the 2026 season.
However, Stake’s position within the gambling industry has led to speculation as to what the team will call itself when F1 visits countries with restrictions on promoting gambling such as Australia, Spain, Belgium and Qatar.
Stake’s branding was absent from the Alfa Romeo C43 in all four of these countries in 2023 and the same will likely occur in 2024, as well as in China, where similar gambling restrictions are in place.
‘The team will alternate between Stake F1 Team and Kick F1 Team branding according to marketing decisions and other elements, such as specific activations planned in destination countries, as was the case last year,’ a team statement revealed to Blackbook Motorsport.
Whilst it isn’t confirmed that Stake F1 Team will run as Kick F1 Team in Australia, Spain, Belgium, Qatar and China due to gambling restrictions, the team’s statement hints that this will be the case and for 2024 and 2025, the outfit will alternate between these two names when required.
For fans confused about what to call the Hinwil-based team, be it Sauber, Stake or Kick, the confusion will only last until the end of 2025.
In 2026, the team’s branding will head in a more consistent direction with Audi’s majority takeover seeing the team become the German marque’s first-ever official Formula 1 entry.
The Stake F1 Team will commence its 2024 F1 season launch in London on February 5, marking the first time that the outfit has launched its campaign in the United Kingdom.
The team retains the same driver lineup for the third year running, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, who combined for 16 points in 2023, landing the squad formerly known as Alfa Romeo, ninth in the Constructors’ standings.
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