F1 team take major sponsor off website amid legal investigation

Stake F1 have hit a stumbling block ahead of their first season of their rebranded era, with Swiss authorities opening an investigation into the Sauber team's main sponsors.

Stake, a crypto casino operator, took over naming rights from Alfa Romeo after the 2023 season.

It was only on Monday that the team unveiled their new car for the upcoming F1 season, which is to be driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu and features the Stake branding on its glaring black and green livery.

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The team's official name is Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, but due to the nature of gambling advertisement in certain countries the team will run with the Kick F1 name instead at certain races.

However, the nature of the advertising has raised concerns among the Swiss authorities who have opened an investigation into the sponsor's legal compliance within the national laws.

Sauber confident all above board

As a precautionary measure, Sauber have taken down the Stake logo from their website while the investigation is ongoing and remain confident the team's practice are in compliance with respecting national laws around the world over the sponsorship.

A Sauber spokesperson told GPFans: "Sauber Motorsport AG have always complied and continue to comply with all existing regulations, both Swiss and of whichever country we race in.

"The report of an ongoing investigation by the Swiss Authorities does not concern us: this is a procedure that will highlight our compliance with all applicable regulations."

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