Last Updated on December 14 2024, 1:35 pm

The FIA has published the Formula One entry list for 2025 which reveals just one of the teams is changing its name. Stake F1 team Kick Sauber remains the complicated name for the what is set to become the Audi works team in 2026 as the Swiss based team remains two title sponsors.

Stake and Kick came into F1 to replace Alfa Romeo who withdrew when Audi acquired the team to avoid what would have been a conflict of interest. Yet in certain countries where the promotion of gambling companies is not permitted, the team used the logos of Stake’s sister company Kick, even producing a special livery for the Belgian GP. Kick was also on the cars in Australia, Spain and Qatar.

The team’s semi-permanent stand in boss, Alunni Bravi explained the situation in Australia when the names were first switched: “As you know, we alternate two different names according to the different countries where we go racing. We will be fully complying with all the local applicable laws and where Stake is prohibited, so gambling advertising is prohibited, we will use a different name.”

 

 

 

Red Bull sister team changes name again

One other team making a name change last season was AlphaTauri, which is a Red Bull owned fashion brand. The reason given by D. Helmut Marko was that the team needed to improve its external funding as part of the restructure and relocation of aspects of its business back ton the UK.

Visa Cash App became the title sponsor of. Red Bull’s sister team bringing a reported $30m a year to the Faenza based outfit and the arrival of another US based big corporation was celebrated by the sport. Yet the name registered with the FIA for 2024 was in fact Visa Cash App RB F1 team with the RB standing for Racing Bulls.

Red Bull’s second F1 team has under gone a number of name changes from its inception when it was simply Toro Rosso, which means Red Bull in Italian. Yet the naming of the team last year was apparently rushed given the first registered title with the FIA before Christmas was simply RB. The FIA does allow some leeway on when the final sponsor must be registered with the team, so Visa Cash App RB F1 team was only listed with F1’s governing body in January.

The only standout change amongst the grerams registered is RB as the team became commonly known will become Visa Cash App Racing Bulls – or simply VCARB. The identity of RB became a point of confusion but was the names most of the media personnel settled upon.

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RB confused with Red Bull

CEO, Peter Mayer explains: “We’ve been struggling to a certain extent with making it clear to people what the team name is and seen so many versions,” Bayer admitted to The Race. “In January, it all happened within weeks, and we’ve been probably rushing a couple of things. What we see ultimately is that people are referring to us as Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. And Racing Bulls anyway is our company name.”

Bayer continued suggesting the team’s identity had been confused with Red Bull to the causal onlooker and a change of identity was required to avoid further confusion.

“People [were] struggling with the RB thing alone because some of them mixed it up with Red Bull. Others didn’t really know what it stands for.

“So that’s why we decided to clarify that, and basically what you will see in the future is Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, and VCARB as an abbreviation.”

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Perez listed as driving in 2025

With the name now clarified the team is waiting upon Red Bull to sit down and decide on their driver line up for next season. Sergio Perez is expected to vacate his seat alongside Max Verstappen with either Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda  taking his place.

Most paddock folk appeared to believe at the end of the season, it would be the New Zealander who would get the nod, given Tsunoda who was given the drive in return for Honda sponsorship may follow the Japanese company to Aston Martin when they switch supply in 2026.

But for now the entry list includes Lawson and Tsunoda with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team and Sergio Perez is listed alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

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New full time drivers

The entry list also confirms the car numbers of four new full-time drivers debuting next season:

Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber: Number 5, previously used by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Jack Doohan – Alpine: Number 7, last raced by Kimi Raikkonen until 2021.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes: Number 12, last seen on Felipe Nasr’s Sauber in 2016.

Ollie Bearman – Haas: Number 87, a brand-new addition to the grid.

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F1 Driver numbers significance

The FIA made a significant change in 2014 with the introduction of permanent driver numbers, allowing drivers to select a number to use for their entire career in Formula 1. This rule was implemented to increase the personal branding of drivers and allow fans to identify their favourite drivers by their number across multiple seasons.

Drivers were allowed to choose a number between 2 and 99, which would remain theirs for the duration of their Formula 1 career. If they left the sport at any stage, their number would be reserved for two seasons.

The number 1 is still reserved for the reigning World Champion, though drivers are not obligated to use it as Lewis Hamilton did when he became world champion. Max Verstappen ditched his number 33 and proudly displays the number one on his Red Bull car.

Since the 2014 change, driver numbers have become a key part of driver branding and fan identification and so these numbers hold a special importance to the new drivers as they step into their maiden full tie season in F1.

There has been talk of retiring world champions numbers when they finish in the sport, but as yet nothing has been presented by thew FIA and now both Sebastian Vettel and kimono Raikkonen have been reincarnated.

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Cadillac blow as F1 driver “not interested” in their offer

The path for the eleventh Formula One team to join the grid has been long and arduous. Cadillac finally got the green light from Liberty Media as the 2024 season drew to a close after 18 months of filing their application with the FIA.

Initially the proposal was submitted by Andretti Global but Michael Andretti had upset key individuals in the paddock. This was evidence this year in Miami when Liberty Media’s CEO, Greg Maffei, accosted Mario Andretti in Miami telling him in front of F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali, “Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything in my power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1,’” Andretti was reported to have revealed by NBC.

A change of team name, Michael stepping aside and hey presto, Cadillac are now confirmed as an F1 entrant for 2026. Yet the value of the global American car manufacturer was said to be them bringing a power unit to F1, which would not be ready before 2028 so in the interim they will be powered by Ferrari… READ MORE