New Sauber Motorsport boss Mattia Binotto says there are a variety of drivers in competition for a 2025 seat with Stake and wouldn’t rule out an opportunity for Method 2 champion Theo Pourchaire, who has gone on to made a robust impression in IndyCar (pictured above) or McLaren’s F2 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
Binotto has began work as COO and CTO at Sauber, having been introduced earlier than the summer season break, with Purple Bull’s present sporting director Jonathan Wheatley set to hitch him as crew principal subsequent 12 months. Following Mercedes’ affirmation of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Alpine’s resolution to advertise Jack Doohan in 2025, Stake has the one remaining seat exterior of the Purple Bull program, and Bortoleto has been linked after a formidable rookie season in F2.
“Firstly, Theo is our reserve driver at the moment so someway he’s already a part of the household and little question he’s on our listing,” Binotto stated. “Gabriel is doing very nicely at the moment in F2 — I feel he ought to be a fantastic expertise and positively we’re what he’s doing, as we’re many others. I don’t suppose that’s the one title the place we’re focusing our consideration.
“So there are a lot of names on the listing. Nice potential, nice experience, nice expertise. It’s a matter that we have now to evaluate what’s most essential for us within the quick, medium and long run, and we’ll go for a transparent plan — which at the moment I don’t actually have a solution for you.”
Bortoleto’s function race win from final on the grid in Monza has left him simply 10.5 factors off the lead of the F2 championship, however Binotto says he’s nonetheless working alongside his new crew to grasp whether or not a rookie or an skilled driver can be the only option for subsequent season.
“It’s a few weeks I’m there, so it’s not just for myself — I’m definitely sharing my impressions for the subsequent steps,” he stated. “It’s definitely one thing that we have to decide — are we going for expertise or for one thing new? It’s a mission which is seeking to a medium-long-term goal, or perhaps a long-term goal, so what’s the perfect for us from now to the ultimate objective? Is it having extra short-term expertise after which transferring to one thing completely different?
“We’re definitely listening to the entire potential drivers. We’re definitely evaluating the professionals and the cons, what’s the perfect compromise? In the long run it’s a alternative that you simply make on the stability of all of the points.
“We’ll resolve as quickly as potential, little question, as a result of we have to arrange the crew for subsequent 12 months and for the longer term. And we have to cease any hypothesis, as a result of it’s not in our pursuits. However thus far no resolution on what might be finest. It’s the kind of evaluations we’re doing proper now, and hopefully very quickly we’ll come to a conclusion.”
