The rebranded Hinwil based Stake F1 team, formerly Alfa Romeo, today unveiled a striking new look for the C44 ahead of the 2024 season, in a livestream event shown on Kick.com, a major sponsor of the team.
Coming from a somewhat anonymous final season under the Alfa Romeo moniker, the rebranded Stake F1 Team will have high hopes to improve from a lowly P9 constructors’ championship finish. The new look team will be aiming to build on a firm base, having elected to continue with an unchanged driver lineup of Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas heading into 2024.
Naomi Schiff kicked off the event, building excitement for the launch of Stake F1 Team ahead of the car reveal. A brief interview with both race drivers and Alessandro Alunni Bravi allowed anticipation to build before finally reveiling the striking C44.
Following a teaser earlier in the day unveiling Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu wearing their 2024 race suits, it was no surprise to see the C44 sporting a black and Fluo Racing Green livery at the London launch event. The eye-catching green representative of title sponsor, streaming platform Kick.
Team representative Alessandro Alluni Bravi in a press release said: “The new car we unveiled today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to every man and woman in Hinwil, who all contributed to the car we see today. Witnessing the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and even more so when it marks the start of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team.
“We have a fresh new identity and we are excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, though, it is all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to commit to numbers, but our targets are clear – to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package, I mean every area, from the race team to the operations on track, the pit stops, the strategy: it’s more than just the car performance, and we are committed in all departments to make this step, this is the target.
“Then, we will see where our position will be as the season progresses: but the key target is to improve this year and to deliver a better job than we did in 2023.”
Valtteri Bottas set out his high personal expectations and what he expects from the new look team, saying: “The new C44 definitely feels different, both in terms of looks and of what we can expect from the car. We need to perform as a team and extract the most out of this package, which has some impressive potential – nothing else matters.
“Personally speaking, going into the third season together with a team, the objectives need to be lofty. My own expectations are high, we definitely need to make a good step and see good progress from last year, a season in which, in all honesty, we didn’t meet the targets that we set for ourselves. We need to fix that now, we need to step up our game and do better, but I have seen some real enthusiasm back in Hinwil and I am confident we can do it.”
Teammate Zhou meanwhile commented on the immense effort seen from the team in the development of the C44, saying: “First, you know, you can’t miss the colour! It’s a very exciting new approach, especially in Formula One. And then from my side, of course, we’re hoping to be a fast one. We’ve been putting in a lot of effort since the last season, especially in the second half of the year, after the summer break, just to make sure that we’re understanding exactly where we had to improve as a team and what the plan for the guys back in the factory would be for the winter: now is the time to put everything together and get the car on track.
“The expectations are high but, at the same time, we won’t know where we really stand until we start competing against our rivals. Still, a lot of effort went into the new car and I’m excited to drive it soon.”
Technical director James Key also commented on the dramatic design changes of the car, and complimented the ambitions of the team prior to his arrival.
“It’s always great to see a new car coming out.” Said Key. “The C44 project was already running before I joined the team, of course: I joined in the middle of it, so I have to give credit to the team, who have done a fantastic job. There’s a great team in Hinwil, with a good and positive working atmosphere, and everyone’s keen to make progress. Of course, designing and building a car like the C44 is not the work of one person: it’s an immensely complex project, even more so nowadays, with the regulations we have.
“The key is really down to managing this process, with the hundreds of people who have been working hard to develop the car, design it and then ultimately build it. The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car.
“The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size, there are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track. ”
