During the 2023 F1 Season, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake has largely remained unnoticed in terms of podium finishes. However, their performance this season doesn’t discount their progress towards closing the gap between the internet and Formula 1 through sponsorships and consistency. Whilst the outcomes of races are uncertain, the team itself has a clear path for the foreseeable future.
Sponsorships
Earlier this year, Alfa Romeo’s title sponsor became Stake, who has ownership of the quickly exploding website kick.com. To the average fan, this sponsorship may be yet another source of income for the team, but it’s also no secret that live-streaming platforms massively boost the popularity of any sport, team, activity, or game.
This is good news for Alfa Romeo F1 Team and Stake. While Alfa Romeo F1 Team seeks financial backing, Stake may count on name recognition. The Stake brand has been around for a while and can be found on lists such as a list of sweepstakes casinos, but further exposure will be extremely beneficial to the company.
Whether this sponsorship continues in the coming years has yet to be announced, but we will be keeping a close eye on how the team performs leading up to the team’s rebranding at the end of this season, and 2026.
Rebranding
At the end of this season of F1, Alfa Romero F1 Team Stake will rebrand itself as Sauber going forward for two years until 2026. In 2026, the team will be joining forces with Audi to make their grand entry into Formula 1, with their new team being named: Audi Works.
Audi’s introduction to Formula 1 should be very exciting with their electric and sustainable engines powering the team’s car. Audi has stated the Sauber team is perfect for their introduction due to their rich history in the sport.
As it stands currently, we are unsure of what seats will remain open for the team going forward, but as of now, we can reasonably expect both drivers to continue their careers with the team during the transition.
Since their arrival to the team in 2022, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have helped achieve more consistency for the team, increasing their standings by three positions for the 2022 season. Following up the following year, the not-so-rookie Guanyu has more than earned his place among other F1 Drivers in terms of consistency and performance.
While there have been rumors of seat changes for the team, neither Zhou Guanyu nor Valtteri Bottas has explicitly stated that they intend to exit the team. Going further, in a recent interview, Bottas did explicitly state that he intends to stick with Alfa Romeo in the long term and be a part of their change to Audi in 2026.
Whether or not they’re making headlines, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake has an exciting long-term plan ahead of them. With current plans to continue with the title sponsor with ties to one of the most popular live streaming platforms, and joining up with a new introduction to motorsports, we can’t wait to see future seasons progress for the drivers and team alike.
