Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber – A team that attracted a lot of attention solely from its bizarre livery with funky details. But did the legendary Swiss outfit offer anything more than aesthetics last year? Unfortunately, no. Despite its rich legacy in Formula 1, Sauber continued to slide down the darker path of motorsport, struggling to show any level of competitiveness on the track.,mm m
Therefore, after such an underwhelming show in 2024, all eyes were on KICK Sauber again, heading into this year’s pre-season testing. Much of the attention stemmed from three major headlines—the return of Nico Hülkenberg to Sauber after 12 years, the signing of 2024 F2 world champion Gabriel Bortoleto, and the arrival of former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto.
Sauber fade to green in 2025 💚
Which design do you prefer?#F1 @stakef1team_ks pic.twitter.com/FBwMISqOlY
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 19, 2025
Amid such high-profile signings, did Sauber manage to show any signs of improvement during pre-season testing in Bahrain? By the looks of it, Sauber’s bitter spell in Formula 1 will most likely continue into the 2025 season as well.
KICK Sauber endures disappointing pre-season testing
While both Hulkenberg and Bortoleto logged significant track time over the three days, pushing the car to its limits, the results did little to inspire confidence.
What makes matters worse for KICK Sauber is that its only true backmarker rival, Williams, is heading into the season brimming with confidence after a highly productive pre-season test. On day 1, Bortoleto and Hulkenberg settled for P12 and P18, both lapping over a second slower than the day’s leader, Lando Norris.
A lotta laps under the lights ✨
3 days of #F1testing complete ✅ pic.twitter.com/cd3m4gLeNY
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) February 28, 2025
Day 2 saw them drop further back to P15 and P16, with their fastest laps over two seconds adrift of Carlos Sainz’s benchmark. Finally, on day 3, the duo found themselves in P13 and P16 out of 17 drivers—once again, far off the pace of the rest of the grid.
Can Sauber return to the midfield in 2025?
For KICK Sauber, a return to the midfield in 2025 might seem like a distant dream. With a lackluster performance during pre-season testing, the team looks set to face another season of chasing the rest of the grid, struggling to keep up with even the lower-tier teams.
SPOTTED: new cooling inlet 👀
Sam Collins analyses the changes to the Aston Martin ⚙️#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/8GjIIKbtda
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 26, 2025
By the looks of it, Aston Martin might be the only other team to match Sauber’s struggles this season amidst the British outfit’s turbulent pre-season testing. So, can Sauber defy the odds and climb out from the back of the grid? Only time will tell.
