"Sauber Enlists Newcomer Bortoleto as Replacement for Valtteri Bottas in 2025"
One of the two available spots in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship lineup has been filled. On Wednesday, Sauber announced that Gabriel Bortoleto, the current leader in FIA Formula 2 points, will be joining Nico Hulkenberg on the team next season.
The team confirmed Bortoleto's signing shortly after announcing that current drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas will not be returning for the next season.
Bortoleto joined the McLaren junior program last year after winning the FIA Formula 3 championship. The Brazilian has the potential to become the first driver to win both the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in consecutive seasons since current McLaren driver Oscar Piastri achieved this feat in 2020-21.
As part of his deal with Sauber, McLaren will be releasing the 20-year-old from their program.
Bortoleto is the fourth driver to secure a Formula 1 debut in 2025, joining Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), and Jack Doohan (Alpine).
The remaining open spot on the 2025 Formula 1 grid is with the Visa Cash App RB team, alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Bottas, a 10-time winner of grand prix races, entered the sport in 2013 with Williams. The 35-year-old from Finland spent four seasons with them before joining Mercedes from 2017 to 2021. He signed with Sauber for the 2022 season and achieved his best result with the team at the Bahrain Grand Prix, finishing in fifth place.
Zhou, a 24-year-old from China, has also been with Sauber for the past three years and currently holds the team's best result of the season with an 11th place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
With three races remaining this season, Sauber is the only team yet to score a world championship point. They are currently 17 points behind Williams in the constructors' championship, with the next race being the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 23.
