McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto takes vacant Sauber F1 2025 seat
F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto secures sole-remaining Sauber seat for F1 2025.
McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto has secured the sole-remaining seat at Sauber to complete the team's F1 line-up for 2025.
Bortoleto, the reigning Formula 3 champion and Formula 2 points leader, has been chosen to replace the outgoing Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, whose exits were also formally confirmed on Wednesday morning.
The 20-year-old Brazilian will partner Nico Hulkenberg at the Hinwil-based outfit next season ahead of Audi's takeover in 2026.
“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 honour," Bortoleto said.
"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.”
New team boss Mattia Binotto has opted to side for youth rather than experience for the second seat at the soon-to-be-Audi works F1 team.
“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," Binotto said.
"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. Nico and Gabriel represent the ideal combination of experience and youth, positioning us strongly for the future.”
Bortoleto, who will be released by McLaren in order to join Sauber, leads the F2 standings by 4.5 points over Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar with two rounds remaining in Qatar in Abu Dhabi.
He will be the first Brazilian driver to race in F1 since former Ferrari and Williams driver Felipe Massa in 2017.
It means there is just one seat left to be filled - at Red Bull's sister team RB - in order to complete the F1 2025 grid.
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