F1 team forced to change name for Dutch GP after rule update

A Formula One team has been forced into changing their name for the Dutch Grand Prix due to strict laws put in place for the race.

Following the four-week summer break, the Formula One season returns next weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort.

With the 2026 season currently set to be the final outing for the Dutch Grand Prix, all eyes will be on the iconic track for its penultimate outing.

Following McLaren's dominance across the season so far, championship leader Oscar Piastri and teammate Lando Norris will be favourites for the race, although home hero Max Verstappen will no doubt put in a top performance.

But before the 10 Formula One teams and their drivers even touch down in the Netherlands, one team has been forced to change their name due to rules put in place for the race.

Lando Norris won the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix. (Image: Alessandro Martellotta/Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In recent years, Sauber Motorsport, the Swiss team owned by Peter Sauber, has raced under various different names due to title sponsorships agreed ahead of the season.

After a five-year partnership that saw them share a name with Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo, Sauber brought on gambling giant Stake on as their title sponsor, following heavy investment.

From the 2024 season onwards, the team has been known as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, but more often referred to as Stake F1.

However, this will not be the case during the Dutch Grand Prix as the team have been forced to change their name due to advertising laws in the Netherlands.

The laws, which were introduced earlier this year, introduced tougher rules on the advertisement of online gambling firms, banning them being promoted in sponsorships.

Regulations state that gambling advertising cannot be shown on athlete clothing or any feature in sporting events, meaning that the Stake F1 team will not only have to completely change their name, but also their car and driver suits.

Kick Sauber F1 team will have to change their name and car for the Dutch Grand Prix. (Image: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

But this is not something that the Hinwil-based team is unfamiliar with, as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto raced under the modified team name in Belgium.

Even in last year's Dutch Grand Prix, the F1 team were asked the Netherlands Gambling Authority to compete under the Stake name, but they ultimately decided against this.