Gary Anderson ‘sure’ Sauber already have big upgrade ready after Stake F1 Team car launch

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Gary Anderson is ‘sure’ Sauber already have a big upgrade planned for the pre-season test in Bahrain after Stake F1 Team unveiled their car for the new Formula 1 campaign.

The C44 broke cover this Monday as Sauber transition from Alfa Romeo to Stake F1 Team for 2024 and 2025. Alfa Romeo ended its title-sponsorship deal, which had run since 2019, with Sauber becoming the factory Audi entry with the German automotive giant’s arrival in 2026.

Alfa Romeo parting with Sauber early will allow the Hinwil, Switzerland-based squad to start getting their ducks in a row for the arrival of Audi. Valtteri Bottas has also already challenged Sauber to ‘step up our game and do better’, after ending the 2023 teams’ standings in ninth.

Sauber launch the C44 to reveal their first car as Stake F1 Team

It was Sauber’s second-worst finish during the team’s time as Alfa Romeo after a ninth-place finish in 2021 with 13 points. Bottas took 10 points through 2023 alongside the six that Zhou Guanyu scored. But just Haas (12) scored fewer points as a team in 2023 than Sauber would.

So, Sauber will hope their Stake F1 Team era is also a fresh beginning following the launch of the C44 on Monday. Additional title sponsorship from Kick has also seen the Swiss outfit use lime green aspects above a plain black livery, as well as ‘#Unleashed’ on the C44’s rear wing.

Gary Anderson is ‘sure’ Sauber have not unveiled the true C44

But former Jordan and Stewart designer, Anderson, doubts Sauber unveiled their true C44 at Stake F1 Team’s car launch. Anderson claims in The Race that he is ‘sure’ the outer edge of the floor will change at pre-season testing. The launch-spec car’s floor has ‘very little detail’.

Sauber have sought to keep the true details of the C44’s floor a secret just like last year. The Swiss outfit unveiled renders of the C43 last year with a run of fins along the outer edge of the floor. But Alfa Romeo soon conducted a shakedown in Barcelona with a traditional floor.

Sauber developed Alfa Romeo’s floor throughout 2023 with a cut-out segment towards the rear not yet seen with Stake F1 Team’s C44. Further changes also modified their winglet and edge wing in 2023. But Sauber only teased an edge wing as Stake F1 Team showed the C44.