©Sauber
Sauber Motorsport has announced that major partner and Australian streaming platform Kick.com has acquired the naming rights to its 2024 chassis.
The Swiss outfit’s contender will be known as the KICK Sauber C44 while the team will run in the next two seasons under the banner 'Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber'.
The changes follow the exit from F1 of the Alfa Romeo brand which partnered with Sauber for five seasons. But the acquisition of the Sauber Group by Audi necessitated the Italian manufacturer’s withdrawal from the partnership.
To accommodate Audi's gradual integration, Sauber will resume its traditional moniker for the interim seasons of 2024 and 2025. The Hinwil-based team will then fully embrace the Audi identity in 2026.
Kick.com already figured prominently on the C43's bodywork at select races this year, having been announced as a major partner at the start of the 2023 F1 season along with title sponsor and Australian online spots betting company Stake.
This latest announcement further solidifies the strong bond between the F1 Team and the streaming platform that has experienced exponential growth since its inception.
“Sauber has always been about innovation, breaking the mould and defying convention,” commented 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 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, Co-Founder at Kick.com said: “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.”
Sauber has retained both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu as its driver line-up for the 2024 season.
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