sportbible homepage
sportbible homepage
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Manchester United
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • Real Madrid
    • Barcelona
  • Formula 1
    • Red Bull
    • Ferrari
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes
    • Max Verstappen
    • Lewis Hamilton
    • Lando Norris
    • George Russell
    • Charles Leclerc
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • More Sport
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • Darts
    • Athletics
    • Rugby
    • Wrestling
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
Threads
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • LADbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
F1 team forced to change their name before Australian Grand Prix due to strict rule

Home> F1

Updated 20:35 23 Mar 2024 GMTPublished 11:13 22 Mar 2024 GMT

F1 team forced to change their name before Australian Grand Prix due to strict rule

One team has been forced to change their name.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

The Stake F1 Team has been forced to undergo a major name change for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

The team was known as Alfa Romeo Sauber last season, but the Italian car manufacturer withdrew from their title sponsorship ahead of the 2024 season.

Australian online casino Stake, who took over as co-title sponsors for the second half of last season, kept that position when the team rebranded as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber prior to pre-season testing getting underway.

However, it was later announced that the team would be known as 'Stake F1 Team' on a daily basis.

Advert

The team have yet to record a point in either race of the 2024 season, with Zhou Guanyu finishing 11th in Bahrain. Team-mate Valtteri Bottas had a pit stop issue during that race, before coming home in 17th in Saudi Arabia.

Stake F1 Team will be hoping for improved fortunes during the third race of the season at Albert Park, Melbourne - but they will have to race under yet another new name.

The reason for this is because of Australia's strict gambling laws, which prohibit gambling advertising during live sport, on both broadcast and online platforms, between the hours of 5:00am and 8:30pm.

As a result, Kick must take over the title sponsorship of the team - meaning they will go by Kick Sauber for the entire weekend in Australia.

Similar laws in other countries means the team will also be known as Kick Sauber at the Spanish, Belgian and Qatar Grands Prix later this year.

Elsewhere, Finnish driver Bottas, who spends time in Australia with professional road and gravel cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, starred in a slightly bizarre advert for Uber earlier this week.

The advert, which drew reaction from Lewis Hamilton and others, saw Bottas initially introduced simply as a 'very famous racing driver' before struggling to get into his road car in the same unorthodox way that drivers must enter their F1 cars.


Bottas, Zhou and Kick Sauber will be hoping to record their first points of the season in Melbourne on Sunday.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Formula 1, Australia

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Recommended reads

Barry Hearn sends message to Ronnie O'Sullivan over snooker future as Crucible prediction madeGettyTyson Fury explains why his 14-year-old son Prince has “no choice” but to become a boxerGettyTyson Fury targets Jon Jones clash as next move after boxing confirmedGetty“I don’t fight for a country” – Michael 'Venom' Page reveals why he won’t walk out with a flag at UFC LondonGeoff Stellfox/Getty Images

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
9 hours ago
11 hours ago
22 hours ago
  • Getty
    7 hours ago

    Lewis Hamilton adds second item to list of things he refuses to sign for fans

    In a video which emerged on social media, Lewis Hamilton told a fan that he was unable to sign the item.

    F1
  • Getty
    9 hours ago

    Max Verstappen refuses to start Japan media session because of ugly interaction

    The Red Bull driver was not best pleased ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

    F1
  • Getty
    11 hours ago

    FIA release urgent statement just days before Japanese Grand Prix qualifying

    The sport's governing body has issued a statement ahead of the third Grand Prix of the season.

    F1
  • Getty
    22 hours ago

    Toto Wolff reveals if Mercedes will try to sign Max Verstappen for 2027

    Wolff spoke to reporters in Suzuka about speculation surrounding Verstappen.

    F1
  • F1 team announce new driver signing days before Australian Grand Prix
  • Red Bull to make major change for Japanese Grand Prix
  • F1 bosses abandon meeting plan after witnessing what happened at Chinese Grand Prix
  • F1 team forced to change name for Dutch GP after rule update