Alessandro Alunni Bravi, a representative of the Sauber Formula 1 team, has confirmed that the team will once again alternate between the Stake and Kick names, depending on the local gambling legislation in each region. Stake became a sponsor for the first time last year, and the brand was easily added to the team's full name, which at the time was Alfa Romeo. But because some countries don't let people advertise gambling companies, the team used the logos of Kick. Because of this, the Belgian Grand Prix had a unique livery, and the Kick name showed up in Australia, Spain, and Qatar.
Sauber is now known as the Stake F1 Team instead of Alfa Romeo since the Italian company is no longer connected with the team. Because of this, it will be especially hard to follow the rules about gaming promotions at events where the Kick identity is used.
F1: Problems with Homebase
When Sauber showed off the bright neon-green and black C44 as the Stake F1 car at London's Guildhall, it was a big deal for the team. Putting Stake's logos on the car, the drivers' race suits and the venue's displays made the relationship stand out. But even though the team is looking forward to the new season, Stake's support is making things very hard. There are strong rules against gambling ads in some countries, which is affecting the team's efforts to rebrand and makes people worry about how it will be received in these areas.
In a worrying turn of events, Swiss station SRF said on Tuesday that Sauber was being investigated by the country's gambling watchdog. The team could face a big fine because they are based in Switzerland, a country that doesn't let foreign companies advertise gambling. Reports say the fine could be as much as 500,000 Swiss francs (USD 573,000). Fans are even more interested and guessing since Stake's image isn't on the Sauber Group website's list of partners as of Wednesday.
Even though these problems are happening, Stake and the Swiss gambling regulator have been quiet and have not responded right away to questions. There is more uncertainty in Sauber's plans for the next season because of this situation. It shows how complicated things can get when it comes to high-stakes sponsorship and foreign rules.
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