Online gambling firm Stake will continue as title sponsor, while in addition streaming company Kick.com has stepped up its involvement and acquired the naming rights to the chassis, which will be known as the KICK Sauber C44 next season.
The team used the Alfa Romeo name from 2019 until this year, with Sauber Motorsport remaining in the background as the company that operated the squad.
However, the purchase of the Sauber Group by Audi meant it was impossible for Alfa Romeo to remain involved, and the deal was not renewed when the contract expired.
The Sauber name will now return to frontline use for the two interim seasons in 2024 and 2025 before the Hinwil organisation switches to a full Audi identity in 2026.
In January the team announced its initial deals with Stake as the title sponsor alongside Alfa Romeo, and Kick as a “major partner”.
Stake and Kick.com share common Australian ownership, although they are independent companies. This year the latter’s branding featured in place of Stake at certain races, namely Australia, Spain, Belgium and Qatar. A special livery was used at the Spa event.
It’s understood that on the same basis, the team is likely to officially run as Kick Formula 1 Team Sauber at some races in 2024.
“Sauber has always been about innovation, breaking the mould and defying convention,” said Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi. “The partnership with Kick.com is the latest and boldest display of the philosophy that drives us.
“Kick.com is redefining the way live streaming is done and they will adopt the same disruptive approach in the world of F1. With Kick.com, our goal is to make the next step in finding new and innovative ways to get closer to our fans.”
Kick.com co-founder Bijan Tehrani added: “[The company] has seen tremendous growth since its inception and is continuing to make waves in the streaming industry.
“Kick’s content is fast-paced and engaging, like what we witness every grand prix weekend. Just like this partnership, Kick was essentially destined for the racetrack.
“We are thrilled to take our collaboration to an unparalleled magnitude, backed by our knowledge of the motorsport culture, and our passion for cutting-edge technology.“
