The driver lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu remains unchanged for the third year in a row.
Marking a bold new chapter for the Sauber Group and the betting platform Stake.com, the highly anticipated launch of the Stake F1 Team car design took place Monday night in London. The team’s new car is a lean, lime green design, in contrast to the red-black of the previous season.
🥁 Introducing….the Kick Sauber C44!! 👌
A new identity, a new car, and a striking new fluro-green design for Kick Sauber’s 2024 season! ✨🟢#F1 @stakef1team pic.twitter.com/nV7kqTNiwP
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 5, 2024
“One race-lover compared it to something presumably never seen before - a blend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the ever-changing robotic movie heroes The Transformers,” The Sun in a news report described a fan’s reaction to the new card design.
“But if Sauber went shopping for compliments, they would find praise such as: “Looks like the way I do my liveries on the F1 game. I love it!” the coverage added.
The 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship, which comprises 24 races, begins in Bahrain on March 2 and concludes in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
Stake’s Foray into F1
Stake first got its name on Sauber’s F1 car in 2023 through a sponsorship deal reportedly worth $94 million (AUS $140). In a new deal announced on January 1, 2024, Stake secured the title sponsorship of Sauber’s 2024 and 2025 seasons. Stake is believed to be paying $50 million each season for this.
The team’s official name is Stake F1 team Kick Sauber. Kick is a Twitch-like streaming platform backed by Stake co-founders Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven. Kick has secured the naming rights of Sauber’s chassis C44, known as Kick Sauber C44.
Sauber touts the C44 as a marked departure from its predecessor. It boasts many changes, including a switch from push-rod to pull-rod suspension, revised side pods and engine cover, and a different floor. Additionally, important updates are promised early in the season.
One aspect that remains unchanged is the driver lineup, with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu retained for a third year. However, while the team boasts stability behind the wheel, the C44’s appearance has sparked uncertainty among fans.
Team Will Use Another Name…
At the team’s official season launch in London, Stake Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi revealed that the team will change its name to Kick Sauber at races where gambling advertisements are prohibited.
Stake Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi has revealed the team will change its name to Kick Sauber at races where gambling advertisements are prohibited.
“As last year, we have Kick as one of our most important partners - the car launch was streamed live on Kick.com, our chassis name is Kick Sauber, so where we will not be racing as Stake, we will use the second team name,” Bravi stated.
