Sauber has signed Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto to complete an all-new driver lineup for the 2025 season, with both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu losing their seats. Nico Hulkenberg had already been confirmed to join the Audi-controlled team next year, and the arrival of the highly-rated 20-year-old Brazilian Bortoleto alongside the experienced German completes a completely new pairing for Sauber's final season before they are rebranded under their new owners in 2026.
Bortoleto, who was signed to McLaren's driver development program after winning the Formula 3 title last year, will be released from those obligations to seize his opportunity with Sauber. Bottas and Zhou have been with the Swiss team since 2022, but their departures were confirmed on Wednesday morning, shortly before Bortoleto's signing was officially announced.
Tyler Tate | T Squared Media House
"Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver," said Sauber Chief Operating Officer Mattia Binotto. Bortoleto will join his current F2 rivals Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Kimi Andrea Antonelli (Mercedes) in graduating to F1 this winter. "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 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," added Binotto. In an earlier post on X, Sauber stated that both Bottas and Zhou were being let go after "open and constructive discussions."
"We would like to thank both for the contribution they have made to the team in the last three years," the team stated. "They have been the embodiment of professionalism, using their experience and enthusiasm to support our growth."
Currently sitting last in the Constructors' Championship, Sauber is the only team yet to score a point in the 2024 campaign. However, the Audi project represents a chance for them to propel themselves up the grid from 2026 onwards. "This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports," said Bortoleto. "Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honor. 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."
Tyler Tate | T Squared Media House
While Zhou's departure had been anticipated since Sauber announced in April they had signed Hulkenberg, Bottas—who joined from Mercedes in 2022—had been fighting to continue his career on the F1 grid into a 13th consecutive season. In separate Sauber statements announcing their current drivers' departures after the final three rounds of this season, Bottas said, "A situation like this is never easy for anyone. But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realized that the conditions to grow this project together were not met."
Bottas recently confirmed he had been speaking to Mercedes—where he won 10 races as a teammate to Lewis Hamilton from 2017-2021—about taking a reserve role at his former team for 2025 should a Sauber contract renewal not materialize. The Finn is also thought to have held talks with Alpine and former employers Williams earlier in the year about their then-vacant seats, but the teams opted for alternative options.
Officially, one other seat remains open on the 2025 grid at Red Bull-owned RB, with the team considering several options as they weigh up potential changes amid growing doubts about the future of struggling Sergio Perez.