Max Verstappen tells Sauber who to pick to complete 2025 driver line-up

Sauber have received perhaps unexpected advice over their driver conundrum from Max Verstappen.

The only available seat remaining in the 2025 F1 driver line-up is with the team who will evolve into Audi a year later.

Sauber are weighing up whether to keep Valtteri Bottas alongside their new signing from Haas, Nico Hulkenberg, or to give a chance to rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

F1 champion Verstappen unequivocally backed Bortoleto in the battle for the drive.

“Yeah, I mean, if I was Sauber, I would have signed him already,” Verstappen insisted.

“I mean, especially if that's anyway the future, you know, young drivers. And ‘26, big rule change.

“It's always good to get used to a team already for a year, make your mistakes here and there, get integrated well, understand the car a bit.

“You always feel much more prepared and comfortable when you then start in ‘26.”

Bottas has been in talks with Sauber for several weeks over extending his stay but has still not been offered the chance to put pen to paper.

Bortoleto is currently impressing by leading the Formula 2 championships and enters his home round in Brazil this weekend. He is the reigning F3 champion too.

But he is contracted by McLaren providing an additional hurdle if Sauber opt to give him the nod.

“I think he's been doing a very impressive job,” McLaren’s Oscar Piastri said.

“Obviously winning F3 as a rookie last year and now leading the championship in F2.

“So yeah, I think from my point of view, when you're achieving those kind of results, you deserve to be in F1.

“ And I have the personal experience of the pain of not getting a seat. So for his sake, I hope he doesn't have to go through that.

“I don't think anyone will ever go through quite the extent that I did. But I think he's been doing a very good job.

“Yeah, if he's doing it on merit, then I think he deserves a place in F1.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has previously indicated that he would be willing to thrash out a deal with Sauber which enables Bortoleto to drive their F1 car - but with a catch.

“If Mattia Binotto came to me, when you have such a talent, definitely you’re not going to stop him having a chance in Formula 1,” Stella previously said.

“At the same time, we would be definitely interested in finding a way to keep him in the McLaren family.

“Because I think he is a talent that in the future could be important for McLaren.”