Sauber ended months of hypothesis on Wednesday, filling out their driver lineup for the 2025 Formulation 1 season.
Welcome to the grid, Gabriel Bortoleto.
After asserting again within the dash that veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg would transfer to the workforce for the 2025 season, a 12 months earlier than Sauber turns into the Audi F1 works operation, the workforce debated for months who would get that second seat. Present drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been talked about as potentialities, with younger phenom Franco Colapinto — whose efficiency to date since becoming a member of the grid as a midseason alternative has turned heads — was additionally a possible possibility.
Nevertheless, another choice was Bortoleto, the present championship chief in F2 and a member of the McLaren Driver Improvement Program.
Sauber introduced two phases on Wednesday, first asserting that Zhou and Bottas wouldn’t be with the workforce subsequent 12 months, adopted by the announcement of Bortoleto becoming a member of the workforce for 2025 on a multi-year deal.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated within the junior classes that he has what it takes to be a profitable driver. We’re more than happy that he’ll grow to be a workforce member of Sauber and Audi. Along with Gabriel, we’re on a journey in direction of success, and we are going to evolve right into a unified pressure to form a brand new period for Audi in motorsport,” mentioned Mattia Binotto, the COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport. “Nico and Gabriel characterize the perfect mixture of expertise and youth, positioning us strongly for the longer term.”
The younger driver referred to as it a “true honor” within the announcement.
“This is likely one of the most fun tasks in motorsport, if not in all of sports activities. Becoming a member of a workforce that mixes the wealthy motorsport historical past of Sauber and Audi is a real honor,” mentioned Bortoleto. “Past merely being a member, I purpose to develop with this bold undertaking and attain the top of motorsport. I’m extremely grateful for the chance given to me by the workforce and for the possibility to work alongside an skilled driver like Nico. Each applications have a confirmed observe file of nurturing younger expertise, and I’m assured that collectively we are going to write our personal success story.”
The information leaves only one seat open for subsequent 12 months, the second seat at Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce. Liam Lawson at present occupies that spot, however the drama throughout the Purple Bull household relating to that spot — in addition to the seat at present occupied by Sergio Pérez — reveals no indicators of slowing down.
