F1 fans mock Sauber’s latest team name - “By the time they’ve finished saying the name the car will have broke down"
Sauber will be renamed to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber for the 2024 season following the conclusion of their partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2023.
The 1993 South African GP marked Sauber's debut in F1, after which the team was renamed multiple times, never leaving the Sauber DNA. Most recently, the team partnered with Alfa Romeo in 2018. This partnership ended after the 2023 season and Sauber's rebranded name was announced earlier today.
However, fans online did not take kindly to the rebranding. One X (formerly Twitter) user remarked that the name of the team is too long.
"By the time they’ve finished saying the name the car will have broke down," the user wrote.
Another fan wrote:
"“Kick Sauber” doesn’t sound right"
Here are a few more reactions from F1 fans:
The team will run under the name Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber for the next two seasons, following which they will be in partnership with Audi as the German manufacturer enters the sport. Stake joined the team in 2023 as a co-partner but will now be Sauber's sole title partner.
'Kick,' a streaming platform, also acquired the naming rights for the chassis of the car. It will be called the KICK Sauber C44.
Sauber Motorsport Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi was quoted as saying by F1 about the rebranding:
"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 1."
Sauber's new title sponsor to run for another two F1 seasons before Audi takeover
Audi bought a stake in Sauber earlier in the 2023 season which is set to increase down the line. The German manufacturer will mark its entry into the sport in the 2026 season when new engine regulations come into effect. Sauber will be renamed again with a new Audi engine fitted in the car.
Sauber has been powered by Ferrari engines since the 2010 season when they marked their independent return after a long partnership with BMW.
In the 2023 season, Sauber, which was called Alfa Romeo, finished in ninth place in the constructors' world championship with only 16 points. Their performance in the 2022 season was much better where they finished in sixth place with 55 points.
The team will run with the same driver lineup consisting of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas in 2024.