Sauber has signed Gabriel Bortoleto to accomplice Nico Hulkenberg within the 2025 Formulation 1 season, the veteran and rookie successfully teaming up sooner or later Audi squad.
Bortoleto had been courted by the Hinwil-based outfit for a while, together with his ties to McLaren as an academy member the primary impediment to a deal.
McLaren workforce principal Andrea Stella nonetheless made clear that he wouldn’t stand in his protege’s method if there have been an opportunity for him to clinch a race drive.
Sauber subsequently made the transfer for the 20-year-old Brazilian, having introduced earlier on Wednesday that incumbents Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have been set to depart the workforce.
“This is among the most fun initiatives in motorsport, if not in all of sports activities,” Bortoleto stated. “Becoming a member of a workforce that mixes the wealthy motorsport historical past of Sauber and Audi is a real honour.
“Past merely being a member, I purpose to develop with this formidable challenge and attain the top of motorsport. I’m extremely grateful for the chance given to me by the workforce and for the prospect to work alongside an skilled driver like Nico.
“Each packages have a confirmed monitor report of nurturing younger expertise, and I’m assured that collectively, we’ll write our personal success story.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro
Bortoleto has impressed within the final two years, profitable the FIA F3 championship as a rookie in 2023. The Invicta Racing driver is now main the Formulation 2 standings with solely two wins to his title however his top-six consistency proving essential.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated within the junior classes that he has what it takes to be a profitable driver,” Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, identified. “We’re very happy that he’ll change into a workforce member of Sauber and Audi.
“Along with Gabriel, we’re on a journey in the direction of success, and we’ll evolve right into a unified drive to form a brand new period for Audi in motorsport. Nico and Gabriel characterize the best mixture of expertise and youth, positioning us strongly for the longer term.”
Chairman of the Sauber Motorsport board Gernot Doellner added: “Led by Mattia, Audi’s Formulation 1 challenge is making nice progress in lots of areas. The signing of the second driver is one other milestone.
“We’re at the moment witnessing a generational shift in Formulation One, with younger drivers instantly making an affect. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we have now secured one in all these prime skills. His signing underscores Audi’s long-term technique and dedication to Formulation 1.”
Sauber is at the moment going by means of its first point-less Formulation 1 season since 2014, with the workforce’s greatest outcome being Zhou’s Eleventh-place end within the Bahrain season opener.
