In the splendid Great Hall of the Guildhall in London, an English castle dating back to the 15th century, Sauber opens the interlude that separates the Alfa Romeo era from the Audi era with the presentation of the C44, the first single-seater of the Stake Formula 1 Team Kick team which will have the task of acting as Charon, ferrying the team towards the 4 rings starting from 2024.
The C44 lost the veils that covered it this evening, at 8pm Italian time, immediately revealing the first, major breaking point with Alfa Romeo's red-white past: the livery.
A radical change sought, necessary, which will make it visible in all conditions: with the sun, in the rain, at night. The acid green already announced with the presentation of the new team logo has a predominant role not so much in the space found on the bodywork – still large – but in the refined and perfectly studied visual impact.
A green that completely covers the front wing and the nose – both of an old concept, and then branches out towards the cockpit with streaks that converge again precisely where Valtteri Bottas and Guan Yu Zhou will find a place to drive. The only continuous line that starts from the front and reaches the rear starts from the lower area of the nose and embraces the car where the belly and bottom join.
On the bonnet there is a… green cast that covers the black, but wisely leaves room for Stake, title sponsor and name of the Swiss team. The rear wing is also rather green with the vertical bulkheads and the profile of the lower wing involved. The only part that remains black is the main plane of the DRS, where Stake finds a place twice.
Another detail to underline related to the livery is the black. The fashion of recent years continues to impact all teams, including Stake. The neutral shade was not applied to the fairing by painting it, but was obtained by avoiding using additional color and weighing down the single-seater. It is in fact carbon black, as you can see by taking a not too in-depth look at the photo-renderings.
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
Clean C44
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Photo by: Sauber F1 Team
The name Sauber does not disappear, although it has been replaced by Stake in the official name that we also find in the Entry List released a few weeks ago by Formula 1. We can see it on the nose, just above the small triangular intake.
Of the car, from a technical point of view, it is possible to notice how the wings and the nose are direct relatives of the single-seater that raced in 2023. The front suspensions, however, become pull-rod, while in 2023 they were push-rod. The trays introduced by Red Bull appear to convey the air inside the bellies and under them, towards the bottom.
The airscope above the pilot's head also changes, and not slightly. Last year it was made with a central cone, the roll bar, which divided it into two portions. This year the solution was abandoned to embrace a more conventional one and seen a few days ago on the Haas VF-24 with the triangular roll bar. The airscope becomes round and has also been advanced. The two steps in the bonnet, which have the task of conveying air towards the beam wing, have been reduced in size.
If the livery and the team name have changed, above all to give a sense of change compared to the Alfa Romeo era, the management and drivers are the same. Alessandro Alunni Bravi will continue to manage the team, just as Valtteri Bottas and Guan Yu Zhou will remain the two drivers in charge of raising the team towards positions more suited to the ambitions of the current ownership.
The C44 will make its track debut this Friday, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Guan Yu Zhou at the wheel to do the first kilometers allowed for the filming day. They will be used to understand that everything is in order from a mechanical point of view and from that of the power unit with hybrid systems.
Watch: F1 Videos | Sauber presents the C44
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