New title sponsor Alfa Romeo not visible at every F1 Grand Prix

The logo of Stake, Alfa Romeo's new title sponsor, will not be seen on the car at every Grand Prix. This is because several countries have advertising bans on gambling. Even in Switzerland, the team's home base, gambling advertisements are not allowed.

Alfa Romeo title sponsor not visible everywhere

During the car launch of the C43 in Zurich, Alfa Romeo presented its new title sponsor with the name 'Stake', which will also be included in the team's name. However, the online gambling platform's logo will not appear on screen during every Formula 1 weekend due to the ban on gambling advertisements in force in several countries.

As title sponsor, the platform will have a prominent place on the F1 car for 2023, but that does not apply everywhere. In countries where gambling advertisements are banned, the logo will be replaced by that of streaming service Kick. In Switzerland, in principle, this situation does not apply, but it may have been the case during the car launch in Zurich.

Speaking to Blick that it is looking into the matter: "If the SFGB takes note of the case and opens an investigation, there may be criminal consequences." However, Sauber does not expect serious consequences. "Stake has confirmed to us that the company does not target the Swiss market," the statement reads. "As a team, we always abide by all applicable local laws and FIA regulations."

There was a similar situation in the past when tobacco advertising was still prominent in F1 and was only banned in a few countries. During GPs in these countries, the logos of tobacco manufacturers were not visible. Since then, tobacco advertising has largely disappeared from Formula 1, although some manufacturers still advertise through subsidiaries.