Sauber has signed Gabriel Bortoleto to associate Nico Hulkenberg within the 2025 System 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 principle impediment to a deal.
McLaren workforce principal Andrea Stella nevertheless made clear that he wouldn’t stand in his protege’s means 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 were set to leave the team.
“This is without doubt one of the most enjoyable tasks in motorsport, if not in all of sports activities,” Bortoleto mentioned. “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 undertaking 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 file of nurturing younger expertise, and I’m assured that collectively, we are going to write our personal success story.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
Picture by: Andrew Ferraro
Bortoleto has impressed within the final two years, successful the FIA F3 championship as a rookie in 2023. The Invicta Racing driver is now main the System 2 standings with solely two wins to his identify however his top-six consistency proving essential.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated within the junior classes that he has what it takes to be a successful 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 direction of success, and we are going to evolve right into a unified drive to form a brand new period for Audi in motorsport. Nico and Gabriel signify the perfect 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 System 1 undertaking is making nice progress in lots of areas. The signing of the second driver is one other milestone.
“We’re at present witnessing a generational shift in System One, with younger drivers instantly making an affect. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we now have secured considered one of these prime abilities. His signing underscores Audi’s long-term technique and dedication to System 1.”
Sauber is at present going via its first point-less System 1 season since 2014, with the workforce’s greatest outcome being Zhou’s Eleventh-place end within the Bahrain season opener.