On Dec. 15, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) released the full entry list for the 2024 Formula 1 World Championships season. Aside from the expected tweak to Scuderia AlphaTauri’s entry, the historic Sauber outfit will go by the name “Team Kick” next year.
This development was perhaps to be expected, as many signs pointed to it over the last 12 months. Crypto casino Stake was a major sponsor of the team during its final year under the Alfa Romeo moniker—co-founder Ed Craven also co-founded and heavily invested in streaming platform Kick. This tie led directly to a poorly received, Kick-themed livery for the team at the Belgian Grand Prix. Now, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber takes the grid.
The neon green of their company logo is set to dominate Sauber cars until 2026, when motor industry giant Audi will step in to take over the reins. “Sauber has always been about innovation, breaking the mold, and defying convention,” said team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi in the team’s official announcement. “With Kick.com, our goal is to make the next step in finding new and innovative ways to get closer to our fans.”
Selling their naming rights is not an uncommon move for Sauber who, over thirty years in Formula 1, have done so a few times to keep the company afloat. Those who watched the sport during their formative years will remember them as the Red Bull team before the energy drink behemoth bought out the flailing Jaguar Racing from Ford in 2004. Sauber’s best period was during the BMW era with star Polish driver Robert Kubica who won the team’s only victory to date at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
For Kick, this move signals yet another aggressive effort to gain household clout over their perceived main competitors in Twitch. “We are thrilled to reveal the disruptive collaboration between two innovative brands,” claimed chief marketing officer Akhil Sarin. “This partnership is set to redefine the boundaries of fan engagement, delivering an unprecedented experience for motorsport enthusiasts worldwide.”
Exactly what this “unprecedented experience” will be is up for debate. That said, Formula 1 is notorious for eating up money, which directly contradicts Kick’s clear directive to give control back to streamers and viewers. It’ll be interesting to see how this all turns out. One thing’s for sure, though—fans are hardly thrilled. “That name is genuinely atrocious,” said one Reddit user in response to the news. Others are hoping commentators are given the freedom to call them “Sauber” instead.
