Sauber Confirms Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for 2025 Formula 1 Season

Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto, aged 20, is set to make his Formula 1 debut in 2025 after being signed by the Audi-owned Sauber team for the upcoming season. Currently leading the Formula 2 championship, Bortoleto will race alongside German veteran Nico Hulkenberg. This appointment signifies that Sauber’s current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, will not compete in Formula 1 during the next season. Mattia Binotto, Sauber’s chief operating and technical officer, stated that the decision was “straightforward with no doubts at all.” He explained that the team opted to give Bortoleto his F1 debut due to being “impressed by his career so far,” adding that Bortoleto is “one of the most talented and high potential drivers we have as rookies.” Binotto further mentioned that he gained confidence from the performances of Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, who was brought in by Williams for the concluding segment of the season. Binotto remarked, “Seeing young drivers doing well gave me more confidence that Gabriel can do well from the start,” and asserted, “I am convinced he will do well from the very start.” Binotto highlighted that Bortoleto, who secured the Formula 3 championship in his inaugural season in 2023 before transitioning to F2 this year, had “already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver.” Bortoleto is managed by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and has been affiliated with the McLaren driver development programme. McLaren confirmed in a statement that they would release him following the conclusion of the 2024 season. The statement from McLaren elaborated, “We have a strong driver line-up in Lando (Norris) and Oscar (Piastri) and we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress while we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren.” Bortoleto mentioned that he and Alonso “always joke” about the prospect of competing against each other starting in 2025. Bortoleto stated, “Before I was born he started racing in F1,” adding, “and now I will be racing against him. He has been helping me a lot in my journey. It will be fun and I will have good time with him.” Binotto commented, “I have been asking to some drivers who have been driving with you and everyone was very impressed. But also because he is very young. “For our journey for the Audi F1 team, growing together with a young driver was very important.” He continued, “When we met I was immediately impressed by the attitude. So not only as a driver we decided, but as a person. He can really be a leader for the team.” Bortoleto expressed, “This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports.” He added, “Beyond simply being a member, I aim to grow with this ambitious project and reach the pinnacle of motorsport.” Bortoleto also noted, “Mattia was super confident about the Audi project and how I could develop as a driver as well.” Concluding, he said, “I see a lot myself in this project. I needed to convince him much more than he needed to convince me, but I identified a lot (with it).” Binotto, who served as Ferrari team principal from 2019 to 2022, stated last month that transforming Sauber into a victorious team under the Audi brand was “not only climbing a big mountain, it’s climbing Everest.” In a video published by Sauber on Wednesday, he further commented, “It will take a few seasons to become a a competitive team. Our objective will be to be aiming to fight for a championship in 2030, and even that is very ambitious.” The team issued separate statements expressing gratitude for their contributions. Bottas, who debuted in F1 with Williams in 2013 and secured 10 victories during his five-year tenure at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate from 2017 to 2021, remarked, “A situation like this is never easy for anyone. But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met. “These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments. “Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.”” Bortoleto’s signing re-establishes a full-time Brazilian presence on the F1 grid, a position vacant since Felipe Massa’s departure from the sport at the close of 2017. Brazil holds a distinguished record in Formula 1, boasting former drivers such as multiple world champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and Ayrton Senna.