KICK Sauber F1 Team goes digital with pixel-powered special livery for Spanish Grand Prix

Hinwil, 29 May 2025 – KICK Sauber F1 Team is set to disrupt the grid at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix with a visually radical one-off livery inspired by the digital world. Dubbed “Glitched Out”, the Barcelona-exclusive design reimagines the team’s C45 in a pixelated cascade of green and black, created in collaboration with KICK.

“Glitched Out” redefines the team’s 2025 gradient base with a glitching pixel texture that appears to be dynamically loading onto the car. With KICK’s branding rooted in square pixels, this livery blends digital aesthetics with cutting-edge design. The vehicle seems caught mid-transformation – part machine, part graphic interface. Even the iconic poker chip wheel has been reinterpreted in pixel form, reflecting a car that’s not just been repainted, but fully reprogrammed.

The pixel motif extends beyond the car’s surface. Complementing the visual treatment, a bespoke reveal animation builds the car piece-by-piece on a digital rendering of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with glitch effects and cascading pixel blocks constructing the C45 in real time.

Drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will carry the glitch motif onto their race suits and equipment, with the team’s pit environment also undergoing a digital upgrade to reflect the livery’s theme. Together, they form a unified presence that blends motorsport with digital culture – a perfect statement for a circuit steeped in tradition, now witnessing a glitch in the matrix.

Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer, KICK Sauber F1 Team: "With this special livery, we wanted to embrace disruption. Barcelona offers us a moment in the calendar where we can challenge expectations – and this design does exactly that. ‘Glitched Out’ is not just a look; it's a declaration of how motorsport can evolve and intersect with the worlds of gaming, streaming, and digital identity. It’s edgy, deliberate, and unmistakably KICK."

This marks the second special livery activation by the team in 2025, following the Miami “Art Car” earlier this season. With each race offering its own cultural canvas, the team remains committed to pushing creative boundaries on and off the track.