"First letdown of the year": Fans react to 'Stake F1 team' being Sauber's official name for 2024 and 2025
Sauber recently announced its official team name for the 2024 and 2025 F1 seasons: the Stake F1 team. After Alfa Romeo left the Swiss-based outfit, they needed a new brand under which they would compete in Formula 1. While they came up with an unusually long name right before the FIA's official entry list, they later announced that a new name was underway.
On January 1, 2024, Sauber officially announced the 'Stake F1 team' as their new name in F1.
As soon as Sauber's new team name was revealed, thousands of F1 fans on social media reacted to it. Many were disappointed with the name and claimed that it was already the first letdown of the 2024 F1 season.
While some posted jokes about steak, which sounds similar to the word 'Stake', others humorously stated how the team quite literally kicked out the latter half of their name, which read 'Kick Sauber'.
Here are some of the reactions from fans on X:
"First letdown of the year"
Sauber's managing director on the team's new name
Stake F1 team's representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi had a few words about his team's new name and how its partnership with Stake has been beneficial for the team and the sport in general. In an official statement where the 'Stake F1 Team' name was announced, the Sauber Group managing director was quoted as saying:
“Last season represented the start of Stake’s journey in Formula One, and the brand’s new role headlining Stake F1 Team represents the natural and exciting next step on this path. Stake not only successfully tapped into Formula One’s growing fan base to enhance its own community; but also introduced a completely new audience to the sport, something that benefitted not only our team but also everyone else in F1.”
He added:
“2024 will be a new page and the chance to do more, better, and reach even farther: we are looking forward to an even more exciting calendar of events in this new season.”
This new name for the Hinwil-based outfit will only be used for two years since Audi will be entering the sport in 2026, which will bring yet another major change in title sponsors and branding.