Logo ban in several countries
Formula 1 team surprises with “aggressive” design
The traditional Sauber racing team will be racing this season under the name Stake F1 Team. But it's not just the name that's new – the two drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will also be driving the eye-catching racing car around the tracks with a different design.
The Formula 1 racing team Stake F1 Team, better known as the traditional Sauber racing team from Switzerland, will appear in new colors for the 2024 season. Instead of black and red and as Alfa Romeo like last season, the team will start in black and neon green with a new name. The C44 will continue to be driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. The car was first designed by James Key. However, the project was already well advanced when the former McLaren man started work in September.
“I took a more aggressive approach compared to last year,” he said. The new car has a revised aerodynamic package and a change in the front suspension. Bottas wanted to get started right away: “Let's go racing.” In 2023, the Finn and his Chinese teammate rarely shone – they ended up in second to last place in the constructors' championship.
Team boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi says of the new, striking look of the racing car – with a green color specially developed by partner BASF: This is part of a conscious effort to bring about a radical change after the Alfa Romeo years. “There is a new identity for our team. We have experienced many changes, which makes this era so exciting for us.” But the fact that we are at the beginning of a new era does not mean “that we will immediately achieve better performance,” said Bravi.
For the next two years, the traditional team will now race as “Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber”. Stake was already a co-sponsor of the team, but the logo will not be seen on the car at every race. The company is a provider of crypto gambling – this advertising is not permitted in every country. Kick is a streaming service from Australia. For the 2026 season, the racing team will be taken over by the German manufacturer Audi.
Williams had previously presented its new livery in New York. The base color is once again dark blue, and Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant's racing suits are now white. With the FW46, the traditional racing team wants to continue the positive trend from the previous season. In the overall standings, Albon and Sargeant finished seventh, thanks in particular to the strong Thai driver. The season starts on March 2nd (4 p.m. on Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de) with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
