P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sauber was going to sign Gabriel Bortoleto for the Audi project in 2026 regardless of if he raced for the team in 2025, according to Mattia Binotto, but the team’s COO and CTO says the timing…
According to Mattia Binotto, Sauber was planning to sign Gabriel Bortoleto for the Audi project in 2026, regardless of his participation in the team in 2025. However, the decision’s timing was partly influenced by the impressive performances of Formula 1 rookies in the current season. Bortoleto, the current Formula 2 championship leader, will be partnering with Nico Hulkenberg at Stake next season before Sauber transitions into Audi the following year. This change will see them replacing Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. Binotto expressed confidence in the abilities of young drivers to succeed immediately in F1, citing the strong performances of drivers like Oliver Bearman. Despite considering delaying Bortoleto’s debut, the recent success of rookies in F1 further convinced Binotto of the Brazilian’s potential to excel right from the start. Bortoleto will be joining a group of talented rookies, including Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, and Liam Lawson, in their debut F1 seasons next year.
