Sauber ended months of speculation on Wednesday, filling out their driver lineup for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Welcome to the grid, Gabriel Bortoleto.
After announcing back in the sprint that veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg would move to the team for the 2025 season, a year before Sauber becomes the Audi F1 works operation, the team debated for months who would get that second seat. Current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were mentioned as possibilities, with young phenom Franco Colapinto — whose performance so far since joining the grid as a midseason replacement has turned heads — was also a potential option.
However, another option was Bortoleto, the current championship leader in F2 and a member of the McLaren Driver Development Program.
Sauber announced two stages on Wednesday, first announcing that Zhou and Bottas would not be with the team next year, followed by the announcement of Bortoleto joining the team for 2025 on a multi-year deal.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver. We are very pleased that he will become a team member of Sauber and Audi. Together with Gabriel, we are on a journey towards success, and we will evolve into a unified force to shape a new era for Audi in motorsport,” said Mattia Binotto, the COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport. “Nico and Gabriel represent the ideal combination of experience and youth, positioning us strongly for the future.”
The young driver called it a “true honor” in the announcement.
“This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports. Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honor,” said Bortoleto. “Beyond simply being a member, I aim to grow with this ambitious project and reach the pinnacle of motorsport. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity given to me by the team and for the chance to work alongside an experienced driver like Nico. Both programs have a proven track record of nurturing young talent, and I am confident that together we will write our own success story.”
The news leaves just one seat open for next year, the second seat at Visa Cash App RB F1 Team. Liam Lawson currently occupies that spot, but the drama within the Red Bull family regarding that spot — as well as the seat currently occupied by Sergio Pérez — shows no signs of slowing down.
