Sauber rolls the credits in Las Vegas with chequered-flag tribute, Alpine adds splash of pink for season run-in
Las Vegas loves a show, and Sauber’s bringing one that’s part neon, part nostalgia. The team has unveiled a special one-off livery for this weekend’s Grand Prix on the Strip, draping its C45 in a sweeping chequered-flag motif — a nod to the approaching end of the Sauber name in Formula 1 before Audi’s full takeover lands with the 2026 rules reset.
It’s not a radical departure from the team’s familiar green-and-black palette, more a curtain call stitched into the paintwork. The flag design rolls across the car like end credits, a gentle reminder that after more than three decades in the sport under various guises, Sauber is on its final lap as a name on the entry list. Audi branding will arrive with the new regulations, but in Vegas, Sauber gets to sign its name one more time in lights.
The team’s leaned into these one-offs before — Miami and Spain both saw bespoke designs earlier this year — with title partner Kick proving game for the creative detours. And Vegas? Under the floodlights, with mile-long straights and an audience that appreciates spectacle, it’s hard to pick a better venue for a farewell flourish.
There’s substance behind the style, too. Sauber is locked in the season’s spiciest midfield dogfight, a tightly bunched scrap from sixth to ninth in the Constructors’. Every point is precious, and the team’s recent form — regular top-10 appearances, if not with both cars just yet — has given them a foothold. Internally, the message is clear: keep the trend going, and do it with both cars on the same Sunday. Las Vegas tends to throw curveballs, and Sauber knows opportunity when it sees one.
They’re not the only ones dressing up for the Strip, either. Williams has already trailed a darker, one-off look for the weekend, while Racing Bulls have been teasing tweaks of their own. But Alpine went a step further and pressed the “update” button for the rest of the season, not just for Saturday night in Nevada.
The Enstone squad has rolled out a refined livery that leans harder into its title sponsor’s identity, with more pink woven through the design. It’s not a wholesale rebrand so much as a course correction in color balance, a clearer nod to BWT as Alpine sees out the final races of 2025. In a year where performance gains are hard-earned and measured in tenths, the visual refresh is a simple way to reset the mood without tearing up the setup sheets.
It all adds a layer of theatre to a race that rarely needs help in that department. Las Vegas has a habit of being unpredictable: low grip, cold tires, high stakes. The sport’s glitziest backdrop has delivered elbows-out racing since its return, and this year’s field — tight in the midfield and tense at the top — should keep it lively.
For Sauber, the symbolism is hard to miss. The chequered flag is usually what you chase. In Vegas, it’s what the team is wearing. There’s sentiment in that, but also a challenge: make the most of what’s left. The badge may change, the factory and people largely won’t. And until the final lap of the final race of 2025, the target’s the same — score, climb, sign off well.
Alpine, meanwhile, is pushing to convert flashes of pace into more dependable Sundays. A brighter splash of pink won’t add downforce, but it does announce intent. Teams don’t tweak liveries for fun at this stage of the year; they do it to sharpen the brand, rally the garage and mark the stretch run.
Las Vegas will do the rest. It’ll be fast, it’ll be slick, and if recent history’s any guide, it’ll be messy in spots. Perfect conditions for a team in farewell colors to nab something memorable — and for a midfield rival in fresh paint to steal a march under the lights.
