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Sauber confirms Bortoleto for 2025 as Bottas and Zhou depart
Sauber has confirmed Gabriel Bortoleto will drive for its Formula 1 team in 2025 and beyond, with current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both set to leave the team at the end of the season.
Nico Hulkenberg’s move to the team ahead of its transition into Audi was confirmed earlier this year, leaving just one seat available at Sauber and the two current drivers facing competition from elsewhere. Sauber has now confirmed Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto will join Hulkenberg on a multi-year deal, having first announced the departures of Bottas and Zhou.
“This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports,” Bortoleto said. “Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honor. 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.”
20-year-old Bortoleto gives Brazil its first full-time F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017, and Sauber boss Mattia Binotto says having Hulkenberg in place allowed the team to go for a rookie.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver,” Binotto said. “We are very pleased that he will become a team member of Sauber and Audi. 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 was part of McLaren's driver development program but his current team confirmed he would be released in full at the end of this season to join Sauber.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Gabriel over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren Driver Development program,” McLaren said in a statement. “We have a strong driver line-up in Lando and Oscar, and therefore we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress whilst we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren.
“We look forward to continuing to support Gabriel in his campaign for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 title and wish him all the best for his career beyond F2.”
2023 F3 champion Bortoleto leads the F2 standings by 4.5 points from Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, with two rounds of the season remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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