Why were Stake F1 Team requested to run under a different name in Zandvoort
F1 News
After Alfa Romeo left Sauber after the 2023 season, entering the current year, the Swiss team announced they will become Stake F1 Team. However, at this year's Dutch Grand Prix, the team will not be allowed to compete under this name. GPblog explains why that is the case this weeked.
If one does not know, Stake are a gambling company, that originates from Australia and have their headquarters in Curacao. They operate in the US and in the UK, but have no licence in the Netherlands. They first started sponsoring the Sauber team in 2023, and became the title sponsor in 2024. The team will retain the same name next year, before they will become Audi entering the '26 season.
Gambling authorities in the country have now requested both Sauber and the Grand Prix not to promote the sponsor at their event. The Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort is not the only one where Stake F1 have to adapt to local rules, as they already had to do the same at the Australian, Spanish and Belgian Grand Prix.
In a statement on their website, the KSA (the Dutch authority) explain why they have requested Stake and the organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix to change the team's name. "The KSA therefore find it undesirable that illegal gambling is advertised at a Dutch event with the reach and scale of Formula 1, also because the event has a lot of attention among vulnerable groups (minors and young adults). The KSA board have therefore urged both Sauber and the organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix not to drive under the Stake name and not to advertise this provider."
In countries were there were similar cases, the team ran under the Kick branding, which is also part the name of the chassis of the car (Kick Sauber). Kick are a streaming website ran by Stake.
GPblog have asked Stake F1 for a response, but the team have not answered so far.
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11 September 2024
