By Joe Murphy
Whilst Alfa Romeo was an iconic name to have as part of last season’s grid, Stake F1 has replaced this identity for Sauber as we look towards the starts of the 2024 season in a matter of weeks
The new look is on branding with what Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou had revealed to fans late on Sunday. The red and white of Alfa has been replaced by a neon green and black livery, with matching race suits for the drivers making them standout from the crowd and then some.
This rebellious theme continued throughout the press conference. “This isn’t your grandad’s F1 team,” said launch host Naomi Schiff. Yes, Stake F1 Team are here and are going to shake up the sport as we know it. There was a promise of a “new era”, something fans of the constructor need after a run of poor years in Formula 1. Even the car’s nickname of “the beast” raises eyebrows.
After this partnership with Stake that is set to run until the culmination of the 2025 season, Sauber will then join forces with Audi, which will bring yet another rebrand and more potential success.
Aside from the stark contrast on colours, not much else has changed. Sauber still expect to find themselves towards the middle or even back if the grid, although this didn’t dampen the spirits of retained pair Bottas and Zhou.
There was a clear sense of reset from the event. A fresh start for a constructor who, at times, has struggled to keep up with the development of others teams.
“We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to commit to numbers, but our target is to improve the performance of our car and our package”, said a team representative.
What is a clear step in the right direction is some less obvious changes. The team has switched from the push-rod front suspension used on last year’s C43 car, instead opting for a pull-rod approach, which joins the nose at a lower point. This should help air flow which in turn reduces drag which should lead to improved pace.
James Key, technical director for Stake F1 has reinforced this idea of a hard reset that goes beyond a simple change in aesthetics; “the C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. 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, there are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development… “.
In conclusion, yes there are vast differences. The colour switch may be the most stark and therefore obvious, but it isn’t the most important. Instead, what goes on underneath that livery is all that matters at the end of the day. Hopefully, for fans of the team, it makes them more competitive than they were last year.
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