The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has just changed its name to Stake, named after the new main sponsor of the same name.
In the same vein, they have shown their new car, which goes in a black-green color theme.
The team’s operations are run by Sauber Motorsport, and despite only having their new name for a few weeks, they have already run afoul of authorities in Sauber’s home country of Switzerland.
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Clashes with game advertising rules
The problem is based on Swiss Radio and Television in that Stake is a crypto casino and betting company, which conflicts with Switzerland’s strict rules regarding gambling advertising.
Stake is not registered with Switzerland’s Federal Casino Commission, so it may be illegal for the company to sponsor the team.
The problem is not new, as already a year ago according to Sports Illustrated Swiss authorities were rumored to be unhappy with Stake’s involvement with the team.
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Stake F1 is sued by the state
Now, however, it is certainly not a matter of reputation, but the Federal Casino Commission has filed a lawsuit against Stake F1.
The lawsuit is justified by the fact that Stake is operating in the country without a permit, which could lead to heavy fines for both the Formula 1 team and its sponsor.
This was not much of a problem when Stake was a minor sponsor of the team, but now that the company is the main sponsor, the cup has run over for the authorities.
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“Always follow all applicable laws”
However, Stake F1 says it is confident it has met all the necessary requirements, according to team boss Alunni Bravi.
– We always follow all applicable laws, including in Switzerland, and of course we took all steps to follow them, Bravi confirms to SRF.
However, SRF has spoken to legal expert Patrick Kruaskopf, who confirms that Stake F1 may well be breaking the law due to how strong the link between the racing team and Stake as a company becomes in the eyes of spectators.
Stake F1 was already somewhat aware that the Stake name could be problematic, and in 2024 will compete under the name Kick F1 in countries with strict rules around gambling advertising.
For the 2026 season, the team will change its name again, becoming Audi’s factory team.
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