Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Stake F1 Team

  • Aron to drive in FP1 with Kick Sauber

    Alpine Reserve Driver, Paul Aron will make his free practice debut at the upcoming British Grand Prix weekend with Kick Sauber after the rival teams came to an agreement to share his driving services.

    The Estonian driver, who competed in Formula 2 last season, is not racing competitively this year, with his focus currently helping Alpine with simulator work as they try and claw their way back up the standings from P10 in the Championship.

    Alpine entered the 2025 F1 Season with plenty of driving talent in reserve.
    While Ryo Hirakawa soon departed for Haas, the Enstone-based squad still have Jack Doohan alongside Aron – the Australian had started the year in a full-time race seat but was swapped out in favour of Franco Colapinto ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

    The agreement Alpine have reached with Kick Sauber will release Aron for two FP1 sessions this season, with every team having to give up four FP1 sessions across the year.

    Kick Sauber only need to give up two FP1 sessions this season, as they are running a designated rookie in their other car in Gabriel Bortoleto. As such, Aron will replace Nico Hulkenberg at Silverstone and in Budapest.

    I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to have valuable track time in Formula 1, so thanks to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for coming to this arrangement. It is no secret that my desire is to one day race full-time in Formula 1 so any chance to be on track in a competitive environment is an important stepping stone. While I continue to focus on my development with Alpine, I do look forward to the two sessions with Kick Sauber and giving my maximum effort to them at Silverstone and Budapest.
    Aron on the news.

    It is in our interests to maximise any driving opportunities for our young talent, so it is good to have an agreement with Sauber for Paul to drive in Free Practice 1 in Silverstone and Budapest. We are seeing varied success from last year’s Formula 2 drivers this year up and down the grid, and Paul was a front runner in that category, so this is an opportunity for him and the team to continue his progress and to give him valuable track time.
    Briatore on the news.

  • Sauber reveal special livery for Miami

    Kick Sauber have revealed a striking special livery that will adorn their car for the Miami Grand Prix weekend, with the design inspired by the vibrant art scene of the city.

    Described as a “bold canvas of modern art” the one off colour scheme is dominated by neon green paint, designed to evoke the feeling of freshly applied paint as if completed by the artist before the cars hit the track.

    To match the special livery of the C45, drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will be wearing race suits that reflect the theme, while the design is also set to feature throughout the team’s garage and on pit stop equipment.

    With this marking Kick Sauber’s first new look of the campaign, the squad have promised that there will be further surprises and special moments to come in the year ahead.

    This livery is more than just a new look – it’s a celebration of Miami’s creative spirit and our commitment to energising the sport for our fans. Our objective when developing this livery with Stake was to stand out, not only for our dedication on the track, but also for our boldness and creativity off track. Our team is dedicated to creating memorable moments and engaging experiences, and this Miami special is a perfect example of that.
    Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer.

  • Shwartzman in for FP1 at the Dutch GP

    Kick Sauber have confirmed that Robert Shwartzman will get behind the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’ car to participate in Free Practice 1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.

    Shwartzman – who acts as a reserve driver for Ferrari – is set to jump in the C44 when the second half of the 2024 season kicks off at Zandvoort on August 23rd.

    This isn’t Shwartzman’s first FP1 appearance, with the 24 year old previously taking part in sessions for Ferrari during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

    After winning the Formula 3 championship with PREMA Racing in 2019, Shwartzman went on to drive for the squad in Formula 2 from 2020 to 2021, finishing in fourth and second place of the drivers’ standings respectively.

    Since then the Russo-Israeli driver has competed in sports cars as well as racing in the World Endurance Championship with Ferrari.

    Under Formula 1’s current regulations, each team must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions each campaign, and Shwartzman’s appearance will mark Kick Sauber’s first young driver outing of 2024.

    After announcing the news, Kick Sauber stated: “As in previous occasions, we work in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari to give young talent an opportunity in practice sessions. Good Luck, Robert!”

  • Sauber announce new F1 reserve driver

    Sauber has expanded their roster of young drivers for 2024 after revealing that Formula 2 racer, Zane Maloney is joining the team’s development programme.

    A former British Formula 4 champion, and FIA Formula 3 runner-up, Maloney makes the move to the Swiss operation after leaving Red Bull’s own junior team, having placed 10th in last year’s F2 standings with four podiums to his name.

    In addition to bolstering Sauber’s talent pool, the 20 year old Barbadian racer will take on the role of reserve driver for the F1 team at several Grands Prix during the upcoming season, where he will share duties with fellow Sauber Academy member and reigning F2 champion Theo Pourchaire.

    Maloney will continue in F2 for a second season this year, sticking with the Rodin Motorsport team which is now supported by the Sauber Academy.

    I am honoured to join the Sauber Academy, and to take on the role of one of [Sauber’s] reserve drivers. The Sauber name resonates with Formula 1, as it has been part of the sport for over 30 years, paving the way for so many drivers who went on to achieve great success. I am pleased to become part of this family, and I am looking forward to working together this season, as I move closer to my goal of becoming a Formula 1 driver.

    Maloney on the news.

    We are delighted to welcome Zane as the latest addition to the Sauber Academy. His path through the junior series has been remarkable so far and, with his speed and potential, he surely makes a great addition to our talented roster. On behalf of the whole team, I give him my warmest welcome onboard, and look forward to working together and achieving great success.

    Beat Zehnder, Sauber Academy Director.

  • C44

    Stake have unveiled their 2024 challenger the C44, which sports a dazzling new fluorescent green and black livery, at a glittering event at London’s Guildhall.

    The Sauber-run team, who will run under the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber name this year, are embarking on a new era after saying goodbye to Italian sponsor Alfa Romeo.

    The Swiss-operation say the C44 is “a marked departure from its predecessor” and a “slew of changes have been introduced”. One of the most significant tweaks is a move from push-rod to pull-rod suspension.

    The C44 also features revised sidepods and engine cover plus a new floor – one of the most important areas for development when pursuing pure lap time.
    The team adds “some important updates” will be brought to the car in the opening rounds.

    The car will hit the track for the first time on Friday when it completes a shakedown at Barcelona and then onto pre-season testing.

    The new car we unveiled today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to every man and woman in Hinwil, who all contributed to the car we see today. Witnessing the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and even more so when it marks the start of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team. We have a fresh new identity and we are excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, though, it is all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to put commit to numbers, but our targets are clear – to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package, I mean every area, from the race team to the operations on track, the pit stops, the strategy: it’s more than just the car performance, and we are committed in all departments to make this step, this is the target. Then, we will see where our position will be as the season progresses: but the key target is to improve this year and to deliver a better job than we did in 2023.

    Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative.

    The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size. There are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track.

    James Key, Technical Director.

  • Sauber relaunches under new identity

    The Sauber-run Formula 1 team that previously operated as Alfa Romeo has officially launched its new identity ahead of the 2024 F1 season, now known as Stake F1 Team.

    Betting, entertainment and lifestyle brand Stake has stepped up its involvement after joining the then Alfa Romeo-branded team as a title sponsor in 2023.
    Stake will now be the squad’s official name for two years before it transitions to Audi in 2026.

    Audi is in the process of taking over what’s now Stake, before entering F1 as a manufacturer in 2026 with its own team and engine.
    It bought a minority stake in the team at the start of 2023 and is set to increase that to 50% and then 75% over the next year or so.

    But while Audi gears up for 2026 and Sauber’s existing Ferrari engine deal runs till the end of 2025, Sauber has struck new naming rights deals for the intervening years.

    It has run under the Alfa Romeo name for the last few seasons, initially just in title sponsorship form in 2018 before selling the team and chassis name to the Italian manufacturer from 2019 through to the end of 2023.

    The end of the Alfa Romeo deal could have led to a revival of the Sauber name, which the team ran under until its BMW takeover in 2006 and then again after BMW’s exit from 2010 until the Alfa tie-up.