In the round-up: Switzerland’s Eidgenoessische Spielbankenkommission (Federal Casino Commission) has raised concerns over the legality of Sauber’s rebranding as Stake F1 Team.
In brief
Sauber faces legal challenge over rebranding
Swiss-based team Sauber revealed its new branding as Stake F1 Team in a launch event in London on Monday. It acknowledged restrictions on gambling advertising in some territories mean it will use a different name at some rounds of the world championship.
However gambling advertising is also banned in Switzerland and its casino commission has initiated proceedings against the team, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen reports. Advertising deemed inadmissible can be punished by a fine of up to 500,000 Swiss Francs (£456,000).
“We always comply with all applicable laws, including in Switzerland,” said team representative Alessandro Alluni Bravi. “And of course we took all measures to comply with them.”
Mercedes signs Climate Pledge
The Mercedes F1 team has signed up to The Climate Pledge, which has the goal of encouraging companies to reduce their carbon emissions to net zero by 2040. It is the first F1 team to do so.“As a team, we are progressing on our journey to meet our target of race team controlled net zero in 2030,” said team principal and co-owner Toto Wolff. “Having assessed our full supply chain emissions last year, we are developing science based target initiative-aligned near term and net zero targets for those emissions, and our commitment to The Climate Pledge confirms our intent to achieve net zero across all scopes by 2040.”
Rossi’s McLaren IndyCar livery revealed
McLaren has presented the new livery Alexander Rossi will run in the upcoming IndyCar season. It bears similarities to the design its former driver Felix Rosenqvist used at last year’s Indianapolis 500, which was a tribute to Alain Prost’s 1984 Monaco Grand Prix-winning car.
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Boschung retires
Long-standing Formula 2 driver Ralph Boschung has announced his retirement after spending seven years in the series. He started 120 races in that time and scored his only victory in the sprint race in Bahrain last year, where he started from pole position in the partially-reversed grid race. Boschung had to contend with medical complications after being diagnosed with facet syndrome, which causes spinal complications.
“Thank you to everyone for the support during all my years in F2,” Boschung wrote in a post on social media. “I had a great time.”
Sebastian Wheldon moves up to USF Juniors
Sebastian Wheldon, the son of the late IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, will compete in the USF Juniors category for Andretti Global. He earned a $100,000 scholarship to compete in a USK series by winning the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Racing Series. He and his younger brother Oliver are both members of Andretti’s young driver programme.
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Fans with benefits: How IndyCar drivers are taking promotion in-house (Racer)
'This is a seven-day package. You get to play golf with me, have some cocktails or some dinners with me. And then obviously being in the grandstand and the biggest race of the year, and I guess you could say being in the inner sanctum with me, because I’m going to do my best to give my time to these people and give my time to making this tour worthwhile.'
Toyota race organiser benefits from fact-finding visit to Mexico EPrix (FIA)
'On the sporting side, I sat in race control during the EPrix itself and it was interesting to note how highly organised and carefully orchestrated everything was by the race director.'
From Ferrari to The Iron Claw: this season’s Oscar-bait movies that missed (The Guardian)
'Reviews were better this time around, for Michael Mann’s handsomely made passion project, but again it was Driver’s female co-star who stole attention away.'
After ‘Argylle’ bombs, can Apple keep spending $200 million on big-screen gambles? (Variety)
'For now, Apple’s movies won’t be getting any less expensive. Upcoming films on its slate cost $100 million to $200 million and include an untitled 1960s-set space race comedy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum; 'Wolfs,' a psychological thriller with George Clooney and Brad Pitt; and Pitt’s 'Formula One' feature from 'Top Gun: Maverick' filmmaker Joseph Kosinski.'
My first time driving the JHR number 77 car (Grosjean via YouTube)
Ferrari SF-24 fire-up (Ferrari via YouTube)
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
After finishing off our pre-season testing activities at @paulricard 🇫🇷 last week, our focus is now on the #Qatar1812KM 🇶🇦 season opener#ToyotaGAZOORacing #GoHyper #GR010HYBRID #WEC pic.twitter.com/2wjVMl1Upr
— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC (@TGR_WEC) February 5, 2024
2024 😮💨
🎨 @HelmartDesign pic.twitter.com/oAETI5iCed
— Christian Mansell (@CMansell_Racing) February 6, 2024
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Regarding Williams’ tribute to team founder Sir Frank Williams on its car, Jungle has a suggestion:
While your at it James put the little Senna logo back on too!
Jungle
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Victor and Rebecca!
On this day in motorsport
- 30 years ago today Williams suffered a setback in their pre-season tests when Damon Hill crashed an FW15D at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Tristan
7th February 2024, 2:23
Got to love the Swiss government waiting until the day after the teams launch… Maximum embarrassment. Fingers crossed they have to change it.
S
7th February 2024, 2:47
Why would you wish for them to change it?
BasCB (@bascb)
7th February 2024, 7:12
Probably a case of the actual broadcast of the event being in violation or having to wait for actual USE of that branding or something like that. But yeah, really making an impression there Sauber.
Asd
7th February 2024, 8:03
“We always comply with all applicable laws, including in Switzerland,”
– Well, you obviously do…
Why do companies always make that silly statement that tries to deny what had just transpired?
And as to the Indy McLaren livery, of course it looks great, I especially like the “Arrow” on the rear wing, which at speed might look like a blurred “Marlboro”, ha!
Coventry Climax
7th February 2024, 8:23
Because little kids try that already, and those that get away with it will never learn, apart from ‘it seems to work’.
But it’s not just companies, it’s complete governments of global power size countries as well.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
7th February 2024, 13:52
Given that Sauber is a swiss based team staffed with swiss personal including swiss lawyers this could not have come as a surprise to them. There is no such thing as bad publicity and the 500.000 is well invested.
Tristan
7th February 2024, 18:31
Yeah I was wondering you know… plan could have been for Kick all along with this used as a tool to advertise a very hard thing to advertise.
Dex
7th February 2024, 2:56
Now that’s what a McLaren car should look like! But in F1 they follow that trend where the real life sport tends to imitate computer games, instead of vice versa. Rossi’s livery looks so much better. Well, the colours don’t look toxic enough for an F1 car from the 2020’s, and the lines are too serious, too clean… This one wasn’t designed by an 8 year old.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
7th February 2024, 6:49
Tbh the livery they released for this year is fine. But the previous two with that mix of orange, black and light blue was disgusting!
Jungle
7th February 2024, 9:32
The Gulf livery they ran at Monaco a few years back it thought was very cool.
SteveR (@stever)
7th February 2024, 5:00
Gotta say, Apple TV will never get my dollar.
kuvemar
7th February 2024, 8:30
Why? It’s literally the only streaming service that offers quality over quantity. For all mankind, Ted Lasso, Silo, Severance, Tehran, In with the Devil and Slough Horses are all way above anything that the competitors have to offer.
Me A
7th February 2024, 12:27
Because it’s Apple and every they sell is overpriced. So people should stop buying their crap. I’m not giving them any money either.
Retired (@jeff1s)
7th February 2024, 7:56
Grosjean, Wheldon, the #77 car. Here’s a frightening round-up.
Andre
7th February 2024, 12:50
The Climate Pledge.
Amazing how the world is run on fairy tales and everybody plays along.
Jay
7th February 2024, 22:03
COTD right here!
Jasper
7th February 2024, 14:07
Why can’t McLaren run this Indycar livery in F1? Looks fantastic.
It’s got the Papaya, it’s got that 1980’s/ 1990’s Prost/Senna nostalgia. Can’t think of any box it doesn’t tick.
AllTheCoolNamesWereTaken
7th February 2024, 14:36
Remember back in 2015 when it emerged that Sauber had signed deals with three different full-time drivers despite only fielding two cars? I sure am glad that the team is no longer prone to such embarrassing and easily avoidable mistakes.
isthatglock21
7th February 2024, 18:24
Good. The restrictions on gambling is one of the few things the Americans got right imo compared to Europe. Then came the new era with likes of Stake who have the operations of an old school scam full of insane marketing & celeb influencer promo. They key market for Stake is USA as everywhere else is well established or banned. Most countries see other countries do good things & copy it, the yanks by power of lobbyists have opened themselves up to something where most consumers always lose with crippling impact on families, livelihoods & lives from gambling addictions. Even premier league is slowly restricting adverts, meanwhile F1 is about as open as a vegas whore during the gp weekend
Tristan
7th February 2024, 18:34
Worth a chuckle. Hadn’t heard that one