Stake, an online casino company, was already a sponsor of the Swiss team, but now holds the naming rights for the team. Kick, an Australian streaming service focused mainly on the world of games, acquired the naming rights to the car, which will be named Kick Sauber C44.
"Sauber has always been focused on innovation, breaking mold and challenging conventions," said Sauber representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi. "The partnership with Kick.com is the latest and boldest demonstration of the philosophy that drives us. Kick.com is redefining the way live streaming is done and will adopt the same disruptive approach to the world of Formula 1," he added.
Sauber competed in Formula 1 from 1993 until 2018 with its own name linked to some brands such as Red Bull, Petronas and BMW, but when it signed the agreement with Alfa Romeo, the team's name became solely that of the partner.
From 2026, Sauber will become Audi's factory team, attracted to Formula 1 after the reformulation of engine regulations, which determines greater use of electrical power and sustainable fuels
Despite the agreement with Audi, the Swiss team has already made it clear that it will not display any reference to Audi in its Formula 1 car until 2026.
"It is not a period of limbo, we build our future here and now, it is not that there is a separation between the Sauber period and the Audi period. We have been working since the beginning of the year with the CEO of our group, Andreas Seidl, on this transformation process," said Bravi, in a recent interview.
Source: GZH
