Bortoleto-Sauber, is a deal getting closer? McLaren gives the green light for 2025

by Matteo Piva

Thanks to his excellent performances in F2, Bortoleto seems to be getting even closer to the second Sauber seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg. The chances of Bottas and Schumacher are decreasing.

To complete the Formula 1 grid for the 2025 season, there is only one seat left where total uncertainty reigns: the black and green Sauber seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

There are indeed numerous contenders, ranging from the current drivers occupying those seats, namely Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou (with more chances for the Finn), to the team’s reserve driver Theo Pourchaire, fresh from his experience in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren, including Mick Schumacher, whose candidacy is strongly supported by Toto Wolff, and finally the young rising star Gabriel Bortoleto.

The Brazilian driver seems to be the ideal profile for the Swiss team, which is coming off a disastrous season so far: in fact, it would be ideal to pair the highly experienced Nico Hulkenberg with a young driver with a promising future.

Bortoleto-Sauber: Gabriel Bortoleto at the wheel of Invicta Racing while leading the Feature Race at Monza.
Gabriel Bortoleto at the wheel of Invicta Racing while leading the Feature Race at Monza.

Therefore, Sauber’s favorite is undoubtedly Gabriel Bortoleto, the 2023 Formula 3 champion in his debut season with Trident, and currently second in Formula 2, just 10.5 points behind leader Isack Hadjar. He aims to achieve a double success recently accomplished only by Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri.

However, to make this scenario achievable, a thorny issue must be resolved: Bortoleto is currently the leading driver in McLaren’s Young Driver Program, and thus, an agreement with the papaya team will be necessary, especially considering that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are secured until 2027. Moreover, just the previous week, the Brazilian driver had the opportunity to test a Formula 1 car for the first time, with a test session at the Red Bull Ring with McLaren.

According to the Brazilian outlet Grande Premio, the Sauber/Audi team has obtained approval for a two-year “loan” of Gabriel Bortoleto, who could therefore make his Formula 1 debut and bring Brazil back to the grid, which has been absent since Felipe Massa’s retirement in 2017.

Gabriel Bortoleto tested a Formula 1 car for the first time at the Red Bull Ring last week.

Bortoleto-Sauber: here are the alternatives in case of a failed agreement with McLaren.

Therefore, if an agreement with McLaren is finalized, Bortoleto would be the top choice for the Sauber/Audi pairing. It seems that Valtteri Bottas’s confirmation is becoming less likely, as he was considered until the Monza Grand Prix to be the main candidate to partner Nico Hulkenberg.

The primary motivation could likely be financial: 2024 has been a particularly challenging year so far, and with the loss of Chinese government funding for Guanyu Zhou’s seat, it would make sense to invest more in development, especially with Audi’s entry in 2026 on the horizon.

Valtteri Bottas at the wheel of the Stake Kick Sauber during the Monza Grand Prix. Another tough race for the Finn, finished at the back of the group.

The third choice is Mick Schumacher: during the Monza weekend, Mattia Binotto confirmed that Michael’s son is on the list of candidates for the second Sauber seat. Theo Pourchaire is even further out of the picture; he will likely have to temporarily say goodbye to his Formula 1 dream after winning Formula 2 in 2023 and may move to America in search of a seat in IndyCar.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Mattia Binotto confirmed Mick Schumacher’s candidacy, noting that he has a good relationship with the driver as Schumacher was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Binotto also stated that no decision has been made yet and that discussions will continue at the end of September, although it is likely that the timeline will be extended further.

The chances of seeing Guanyu Zhou on the grid in 2025 are increasingly diminishing: his future may be as a third driver or in another championship.

PHOTO: Gabriel Bortoleto, Stake F1 Kick Sauber.

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