After five seasons under the Alfa Romeo name, Sauber has confirmed they will run in 2024 as Stake F1 Team, having struck a two-year title partnership deal with the betting, lifestyle and entertainment agency.
Canadian rap star Drake was on hand to launch the change on New Year’s Day. The five-time Grammy winner is a celebrity, sport and lifestyle partner, as are Premier League club Everton and the UFC.
“Last season represented the start of Stake’s journey in Formula 1, and the brand’s new role headlining Stake F1 Team represents the natural and exciting next step on this path,” said Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.
“Stake not only successfully tapped into Formula 1’s growing fan base to enhance its own community; but also introduced a completely new audience to the sport, something that benefitted not only our team but also everyone else in F1.
“We had the opportunity to participate in some incredible activations with some of Stake’s ambassadors, including Argentine football legend Sergio Aguero and Indian-Canadian rapper Karan Aujla. 2024 will be a new page and the chance to do more, better, and reach even farther: we are looking forward to an even more exciting calendar of events in this new season.”
The end of Sauber’s relationship with Alfa Romeo left them needing a new identity for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, ahead of their upcoming partnership with Audi from 2026.
The Swiss team, now officially known as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, will retain Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou as their driver lineup for this year’s campaign, with a full launch planned for February 5 in London.
The two Sauber machines may not be referred to Stake at every race, with gambling advertising restrictions in Australia, Spain, Belgium and Qatar potentially forcing the team to spotlight ‘Kick’, the streaming service backed by the brand.
Formula 1 pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on February 21-23.
