The team known around the Formula One (F1) grid as Alfa Romeo since 2019 has a new name and a new color scheme to accompany it. The Swiss motorsports company Sauber has taken the names of its primary sponsors, Kick, an online gaming and streaming platform, and Stake, the online gambling platform, to race under during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The team finished second to last in last year’s Constructors Championship, with no wins or podium finishes, and their drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, ended 15th and 18th on the Driver Standings, respectively.
The Stake F1 Team launched their 2024 contender, the C44, on Feb. 5. Moving away from the white, black and red of Alfa Romeo, the team has adopted the neon green of their sponsor, Kick. The car is primarily black exposed carbon fiber with green highlights to make it stand out. This is a car that will definitely stand out at night races such as Las Vegas or Bahrain. The livery has received mixed reviews, with some fans criticizing the ‘highlighter pen’ color, but striking colors look best on racing vehicles and Stake’s car is no different.
Nevertheless, the contrast between the black and green colors could be appreciated more if every other team was not heading in the same direction of exposed carbon fiber. Where cars once used to be completely covered, color has slowly receded from their bodywork. To make up for it, a new trend is to add color to the wheel rims, which Stake has painted green as well.
On the technical side, the most important change from last year’s Alfa Romeo is the change from push-rod to pull-rod suspension, inspired by Red Bull’s championship-winning RB-19. Under the guidance of their new Technical Director, James Key, Stake has made a car that promises improvements in every area. Hopefully, it will be a car worthy of Bottas, who drove for top-team Mercedes for five years, scoring 10 race wins and 67 podium finishes. He is a great driver, but needs a good car to prove it.
With a new name and new paintwork, the Stake F1 Team has entered a new era with big hopes. The team needs to have a better season than their last and bring respectability back to their brand in time to welcome their new partner, Audi, in 2026. Audi will replace Ferrari as Sauber’s engine and power unit provider. If the team is capable of being competitive before that time remains to be seen, but its disappointing 2023 season did not paint a very bright future.
