Audi given boost in Gabriel Bortoleto pursuit as McLaren ‘won’t hold him back’

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has seemingly given Audi the green light to sign Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 F1 season.

Audi are still undecided on which driver will partner Nico Hulkenberg for next year.

In terms of their current options, Valtteri Bottas is keen to remain with the team as he looks to prolong his F1 career.

However, Audi might be tempted to look to youth, rather than experience, particularly with the likes of Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman starring this season.

Williams boss James Vowles has been open in the fact that he’d love to see Colapinto join Sauber for next year.

Bortoleto, who sits top of the F2 standings currently, is part of the McLaren junior programme.

Speaking in the FIA press conference on Friday, Brown was asked about Bortoleto’s prospects of making it into F1.

“Yeah, he's a great racing driver,” Brown said. “Right now, our priority is to help them win the Formula 2 championship.

“So that's what we're very much focused on. We don't have an open seat.

“We're very happy, obviously, with our two Grand Prix drivers, and we would never want to hold a racing driver back in Grand Prix. in his career.

“So we'll kind of see how things play out, but focused on winning the championship and focused on not holding him back if we can't provide him with an opportunity in Formula 1, which looks unlikely at this time.”

Audi CEO Mattia Binotto could turn to Mick Schumacher.

Schumacher is reportedly on their shortlist as a possible option.

The German hasn’t raced in F1 since 2022 after being dropped by Haas.