Breaking: Stake and Kick secure branding sponsorship of Sauber F1 for pre-Audi seasons
The Sauber F1 team has officially announced that Kick.com has acquired the naming rights to the car chassis the team will have for the 2024 and 2025 F1 seasons. Furthermore, they will also be rebranded under a new name in the next season. Kick is a community-driven streaming platform and was already a part of the Swiss team in 2023 as one of their major sponsors.
Speaking about the new chassis and title sponsors, the team's managing director, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, said (via sauber-group.com):
“Sauber has always been about innovation, breaking the mould and defying convention. 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 Formula One.
“With Kick.com, our goal is to make the next step in finding new and innovative ways to get closer to our fans.”
Bijan Tehrani, the co-founder of Kick.com, also chimed in and stated how the company's culture was destined to be intertwined with F1. He also explained how the partnership with the Swiss-based outfit will bring success to both the team and the streaming platform, saying:
“Kick.com 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. Exceptionally, this universally popular sport, aligns perfectly with our product and what we are building at Kick.com.”
This change in naming rights was mainly because Alfa Romeo is now ending their connection with the team as the latter plans to gradually make way for Audi in 2026. The official name of the team itself will be Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber for the 2024 F1 season.
Sauber director reaffirms Audi's commitment towards F1
Managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi recently reassured everyone that Audi is still very committed to entering Formula 1 in 2026. Bravi told the media, including RacingNews365.com:
"Audi has a strong commitment to Formula 1, of course together with Sauber. This commitment comes from a decision not only of the board of Audi but also the advisory board of Audi and the Supervisory Board of Audi Volkswagen. It’s a group decision and the commitment is there."
From 2024, the Swiss team will start working even closer with Audi to develop a brand new power unit and enter the 2026 F1 season as a works team.