Kick Sauber confirm rookie Bortoleto as second driver for 2025

Brazilian racer Gabriel Bortoleto will make his Formula 1 debut in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal with Sauber/Audi, with the team earlier confirming they were parting ways with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

Bortoleto fended off competition from incumbent and 10-time race winner Bottas to secure the seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg in an all-new line-up for the Hinwil-based team next season and in 2026 when the team become Audi’s works squad.

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The 20-year-old reigning F3 champion is currently leading the F2 championship with two rounds – in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – to go.

He signed for Fernando Alonso’s driver management company A14 in 2022 and last year joined the McLaren driver programme, which gave him his first taste of F1 machinery with a test at the Red Bull Ring in a 2022-spec McLaren.

“Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver,” said Sauber COO and CTO Mattia Binotto.

“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.”

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Bortoleto said: “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. 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.”

Chairman of the Board of Sauber Motorsport AG Gernot Dollner said: “Led by Mattia, Audi's Formula 1 project is making great progress in many areas. The signing of the second driver is another milestone.

“We are currently witnessing a generational shift in Formula One, with young drivers immediately making an impact. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we have secured one of these top talents. His signing underscores Audi's long-term strategy and commitment to Formula 1.”

Bortoleto has impressed with his consistency in F2 this year with Invicta Racing, scoring two wins and three further podiums to lead Isack Hadjar by 4.5 points.

His Sauber/Audi deal makes him the fourth full-time rookie on the 2025 grid, joining Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Haas’ Ollie Bearman.

READ MORE: What does the future hold for Bottas and Zhou as Kick Sauber sign Bortoleto?

He is also the first full-time Brazilian Grand Prix driver since Felipe Massa, who retired at the end of 2017. His appearance comes after countryman Pietro Fittipaldi subbed in for Romain Grosjean for two Grands Prix in 2020.

Following the confirmation McLaren released a statement of their own saying Bortoleto “will be released from the McLaren Driver Development programme at the end of the 2024 season to pursue a new opportunity in his career”.

They added: “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 programme.

“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.

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“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.”

Bortoleto’s deal means there is just one seat on next year’s grid, with Liam Lawson the favourite to secure it alongside Yuki Tsunoda at RB.