Alfa Romeo F1 Is Now... Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber?

The Sauber Formula 1 team is two years from its long-awaited move to become Audi's factory F1 team. The brand did not want to switch directly from a naming rights deal with Alfa Romeo before joining another manufacturer, so it has announced a new generic team name in the interim: Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

The unique name structure integrates two title sponsors, an actual team name, and the phrase "F1 Team" in an order that may as well have been chosen to cause as much confusion as possible. The goal is to promote Stake and Kick, an online casino and a Twitch-like streaming website respectively. The result is a name so confusing that we'd wager most analysts will continue to refer to the team only as "Sauber" until Audi joins in 2026.

In addition to the team rebrand, Sauber is also integrating Kick into the names of its chassis. The new car will be called a Kick Sauber C44, a rare and confusing integration that will rarely come up among fans.

The Sauber name change is the first of two major rebrands ahead of the 2024 F1 season. The Red Bull-owned Scuderia AlphaTauri is also expected to undergo a major change, although that name was not announced on Friday's latest official entry list. CEO Peter Bayer tells Autosport that the new branding will be generic and closer to the Red Bull parent company, but will integrate a new title sponsor. Expect that announcement to be at least a little confusing, too.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car