- Sauber intermittently dropped Stake branding due to gambling regulations in 2023
- Kick ran as replacement title sponsor for races in Australia, Spain, Belgium and Qatar
Sauber Motorsport has confirmed it will alternate its team name between Stake F1 Team and Kick F1 Team for the next two seasons.
Following the official announcement of the team’s rebrand, it was anticipated that it would be unable to race as Stake F1 Team in certain countries due to gambling regulations, having removed its title sponsor from races in Australia, Spain, Belgium and Qatar in 2023.
‘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.
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Reading between the lines, this strategy enables the outfit to skirt around those aforementioned gambling regulations, which will also be applicable for Formula One’s return to China in 2024.
In addition, the move allows the team to leverage both brands, with Sauber having sold chassis naming rights to Kick, a subsidiary of Stake, at the end of last year.
This flip-flopping naming strategy will be in place until Audi – who will eventually own 75 per cent of the Swiss team – officially enters Formula One in 2026.