The team unveiled their new design at the historic Guildhall in London’s financial district, with team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi stating that the team’s identity would be altered for specific races.
Last season, the Swiss-based team competed as Alfa Romeo. However, due to the departure of the Stellantis brand, they have been renamed as F1 Team Stake for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, before transitioning into the Audi factory team in 2026.
“Last year, we already had two different team names – Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake in certain countries and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Kick,” explained Alunni Bravi.
“This year, we will also have two different team names depending on the countries where we are racing, in order to comply with local laws. If Stake is prohibited due to restrictions on gambling advertising, we will use Kick in our team name,” he added.
The team’s official chassis name is Kick Sauber, but Alunni Bravi stated that the formal second name will be announced in the near future.
The naming rights for the chassis have been acquired by Australian online live streaming platform Kick.com, a subsidiary of Easygo Entertainment Pty Ltd, which also owns Stake.com.
The team will retain their lineup of China’s Guanyu Zhou and experienced Finn Valtteri Bottas as they aim to improve on their ninth-place finish from last season.
The new C44 will feature a black and Fluo Racing Green livery. Technical director James Key described it as more refined and aggressive compared to last year’s car.
“It’s a more advanced and ambitious car with greater potential,” said Key, who joined the team from McLaren in 2023.
The car will undergo its shakedown in Barcelona on Friday before testing in Bahrain.
“The new C44 definitely feels different, both in terms of appearance and what we can expect from its performance. As a team, we need to deliver and make the most of this package, which has impressive potential. Nothing else matters,” commented Bottas.