SUMMARY
- The former Alfa Romeo F1 team underwent a significant transformation on January 1, becoming the Stake F1 Team officially.
- Stake F1 Team faced challenges in updating its social media handles, particularly on Twitter, causing speculation and confusion among fans.
The former Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team had an extensive transition on January 1st when they formally became the Stake F1 Team. The team will operate under the name Stake F1 Team for the upcoming season, reflected by their new Instagram handle, @stakef1team. The update originally appeared in the FIA entry list on December 15 as the Swiss-based team put forward the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber title.
With Alfa Romeo’s contract terminating in 2023, the team felt they needed a fresh face, so they began putting together plans for a complete rebranding with Audi in 2026. In several races in the previous season, Kick outperformed Stake, who shared ownership of the car. As stated by Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team representative, this is just the first phase of a large-scale activation program under the new brand.
With an obvious focus on its longevity, Sauber declared their team name for the extensive 2024 season.
Why Stake F1 Team name remain unchanged on X?
As the transition for the complete rebranding has already begun, Stake F1 has failed to rename its X (formerly known as Twitter) handle. What seemed to be a marketing nightmare arose when a fan account arose with the username @stakef1team on the social media platform. However, the latter came forward to clear out the confusion by stating they are not the Sauber turned Stake F1 team.
Going to take a guess that the reason the team have failed to post anything on socials is because they haven’t been able to change the account names in time 😬#F1 https://t.co/ELvysbWeO7 pic.twitter.com/9yEKMzkRfC
— Laura Leslie (@LauraLeslieF1) January 1, 2024
Regardless, X user who goes by @LauraLeslieF1 pointed out that the team most likely was unable to change their name to the official username as it was already taken. As of now, there is confirmation on when the needed update will take place.
The Swiss F1 team partnered with Canadian rapper Drake
After being tirelessly awaited for weeks, the name change was finally revealed, and it featured an unexpected twist. The new C44 is scheduled to premiere with grandeur on February 5 in London, and Stake ambassador rapper Drake is going to take part in the corresponding social media campaigns. Drake starred in an appealing video that was released with the news, lending it an air of extravagance.
On the F1 official site…
Sorry @Drake – no one has seen you do this yet… #F1 pic.twitter.com/6SNJWL37mG— FormulaNerds 🤓🏁 (@Formula_Nerds) January 1, 2024
The Canadian artist signed on with Stake as one of its sports, celebrity, and lifestyle partners along with UFC and Everton, and was instrumental in bringing about this paradigm change on New Year’s Day. Set in action in 2023 when Stake became a sponsor, the Hinwil-based team strategically collaborated with online casino company Stake and recruited Drake as one of its ambassadors.
Sergio Aguero and Karan Aujla, the brand ambassadors for Stake, were present at advertising activities to promote the alliance. Inside Formula 1, celebrities and athletes like Ryan Reynolds, Anthony Joshua, and Patrick Mahomes all have substantially invested in teams, Drake’s affiliation with Sauber stands out.
