Beleaguered F1 team could now lose £40m-a-year sponsor deal with another FIA clampdown

The FIA and Formula 1 drivers are butting heads ahead of the 2025 season, but the governing body’s attempts to clamp down on swearing may not be the only issue.

Swearing became a key point of contention for the FIA last year and new measures are now in place for the 2025 Formula 1 season, which starts at the Australian Grand Prix this March. Yet the FIA’s attempt to ensure F1 drivers act as good role models has faced some backlash.

Fines plus potential race bans are on the cards for any driver who swears in an official FIA or F1 event. While some within the FIA are against fining F1 drivers for swearing, the base fine is €40k (£33k) – a large rise on the €10k (£8.5k) Charles Leclerc was fined in Mexico in 2024.

Given expletives are mostly only used in the heat of the moment, Lance Stroll feels the FIA’s swearing ban will be ‘challenging’ for drivers to adhere to. Although, some in F1 do back the idea with McLaren CEO Zak Brown clear swearing has zero place in an FIA press conference.

The FIA could clamp down on title sponsors as well as F1 drivers swearing

The FIA’s clampdown on swearing may not be the governing body’s only concern, as well, as Blick reports that sponsorship deals could be next. Alcohol and tobacco sponsorship money powered Formula 1 for many years before being outlawed and gambling may face that fate.

A potential crackdown on sponsorships from gambling and national competition conditions would spell particularly bad news for Sauber. Blick adds that the Swiss squad’s title sponsor Stake pays Sauber $50m-a-year (£40m-a/y) yet that deal may be at risk if the FIA does act.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Sauber from team principal to 2026 Audi future

Sauber agreed to a two-year title sponsorship deal with Stake, which splits the naming rights with its streaming platform Kick, after the Formula 1 team’s deal with Alfa Romeo concluded after 2023. The Italian car brand ceased its naming of Sauber after Audi bought the F1 outfit.

Yet as promoting gambling is banned in some of the countries that Formula 1 visits, Sauber regularly have to change between using Stake and Kick branding. Even for the launch of the C45 at their factory in Hinwil, Sauber presented their 2025 car as Kick rather than as Stake.

With the FIA now moving intently to try and clamp down on all potential issues it considers necessary, title sponsorship deals like Sauber’s may be next to remove the possibility of any F1 team rotating their name in the same season. Stake’s deal with Sauber will end this year.

Sauber face enough issues ahead of becoming Audi without the FIA clamping down on title sponsors

Sauber will hope the FIA does not act on blocking any title sponsorship deals like theirs with Stake during the 2025 F1 campaign. The Swiss crew already face enough problems ahead of becoming Audi’s works F1 team in 2026 without losing a $50m-a-year (£40m-a/y) sponsor.

The FIA feared Audi would close their F1 factory due to the costs of Sauber being the one F1 squad based in Switzerland. But those concerns were eased with Audi selling a 30% stake in their F1 project to the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Audi still owns 70% of Sauber now.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

However, even after the QIA’s investment, there have been persistent fears Audi could scrap joining F1 in 2026. Potentially then losing Stake’s investment would be disastrous for Sauber, who are already a beleaguered crew having been last in the 2024 F1 constructors’ standings.

Sauber scored just four points during F1’s record-breaking 24-round calendar, which further featured six F1 Sprint events, last year. Zhou Guanyu also scored Sauber’s only points in the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix in round 23, before he was then kicked out alongside Valtteri Bottas.

Sauber will run a new driver line-up in 2025 after Audi gifted multi-year factory contracts to Nico Hulkenberg and the 2024 Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto. Hulkenberg’s £5.5m-a-year factory Audi contract runs through 2027, whilst Bortoleto is signed up through 2026.