Some teams roar into Formula 1.
Sauber just… never left.
They’ve changed names, swapped sponsors, moved flags around, and even rebranded into corporate absurdity. But underneath the neon, the crypto, the streaming platform confusion — this is still Sauber. The quiet survivor. The team that outlasted giants by simply staying alive.
They’ve started over 500 races. Been on the grid since 1993. Outlived Jordan, Minardi, Toyota, BAR, Lotus (twice), and nearly Renault. But with all that time and experience?
Just one win.
Robert Kubica, Canada 2008. That’s the whole list.
Now they’re on the verge of another reinvention — with Audi preparing to take control, full works backing in 2026, and a serious goal: not just to be present, but to finally contend.
But here’s the question F1 keeps quietly asking:
Can Sauber ever actually win?
The Original Independent
Peter Sauber built his team in Hinwil, Switzerland — a quiet outpost surrounded by pine trees and precision engineering. In the early years, they were classic midfielders: efficient, serious, underfunded, but hard to kill.
They punched above their weight sometimes. Notably in 2001 with Nick Heidfeld and rookie Kimi Räikkönen. But they never had the resources to go beyond “respectable.” They made decent cars, found good drivers, and kept the lights on.
That was always the mood: stable. Solid. Sane.
They weren’t chasing glory. They were chasing survival.
The BMW Years: A Glimpse of Glory
In 2006, BMW bought the team and rebranded it BMW Sauber. For once, Sauber had full manufacturer muscle behind them — funding, wind tunnels, factory upgrades. And it worked.
- 2007: a solid top-three team.
- 2008: a win in Canada.
- Kubica leads the championship mid-season.
But then BMW got cautious. They stopped developing the car to focus on 2009. The title slipped. Kubica fumed. And after one mediocre year, BMW pulled out entirely.
Just like that, the window closed. Sauber was back on their own.
The Identity Crisis Era (2010–2022)
Post-BMW, the team drifted through identity limbo:
- Independent Sauber again.
- Midfield performances.
- Near-collapse in 2016.
- Saved by Longbow Finance.
- Then rebranded as Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2023 — a name rental more than a true takeover.
Throughout all this, one thing remained true: the team was still based in Hinwil. Still technically Sauber. Still waiting for a real transformation.
And now, finally, it’s coming.
Audi Incoming. Stake Present. Chaos Now.
In 2026, Audi will take over the team fully, with its own power unit, its own works operation, and — presumably — a new name. That’s the real future.
In the meantime? We have Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
It’s a sponsorship fever dream. A mashup of crypto, streaming, and gambling, with a name that feels like it was stitched together by brand consultants trying to win at Scrabble.
No one — fans, broadcasters, or probably even drivers — knows what to call this team. But under the flashing lights is the old Swiss machinery trying to stay relevant until Audi brings the real tools.
It’s an awkward phase. The adolescent identity crisis before adulthood.
What Makes Sauber Sauber?
Persistence.
They’ve never been sexy. Never been dominant. But they’ve outlasted the chaos. They’ve adapted. They’ve rebuilt more times than most teams get a chance to. And now they’re close to something real.
Audi isn’t coming in to play midfield games. They’re serious. They’re calculated. And they’ve chosen this base — this team — as their platform.
Sauber’s job is to survive the now and prepare for the future.
Because if they can make it to 2026 in good shape, the Audi era could finally be what Sauber never was:
A team that matters at the front.
But history’s still watching.
More than 500 races. One win.
Audi might bring the engines. Might bring the budget. Might even bring the championship dreams.
But first, they have to exorcise the ghost of a team that never really believed it belonged there in the first place.
| Field | Info |
| Full Team Name | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber |
| Base | Hinwil, Switzerland |
| Founded | 1993 (as Sauber F1 Team) |
| Owner | Islero Investments AG (Sauber Group; Audi stake increasing) |
| Team Principal | Alessandro Alunni Bravi (Team Representative); Andreas Seidl (CEO) |
| Technical Director | James Key (joined from McLaren in 2023) |
| Engine Supplier | Ferrari (until Audi takes over in 2026) |
| Driver Lineup (2025) | Valtteri Bottas (#77), Zhou Guanyu (#24) |
| Test/Reserve Drivers | Théo Pourchaire (2024 F2 champion), others TBD |
| Constructors’ Titles | 0 |
| Drivers’ Titles | 0 |
| First Race | South African GP 1993 (as Sauber) |
| First Win | Canadian GP 2008 (Robert Kubica, under BMW Sauber) |
| Total Wins | 1 (as of mid-2025) |
| Title Sponsors | Stake, Kick, Puma, Acer |
