Sauber was going to signal Gabriel Bortoleto for the Audi undertaking in 2026 no matter if he raced for the group in 2025, in keeping with Mattia Binotto, however the group’s COO and CTO says the timing was partly strengthened by the sturdy efficiency of Components 1 rookies this yr.
Bortoleto (pictured above), who’s at the moment main the Components 2 championship standings, was introduced on Wednesday as becoming a member of Nico Hulkenberg at Stake subsequent season, earlier than the Sauber-run group turns into Audi the next yr for the beginning of latest laws. Hulkenberg and the Brazilian rookie will substitute the present pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, and whereas Binotto says the latest sturdy showings by the likes of Oliver Bearman have probably not shocked him, they’ve boosted confidence within the capacity of newcomers to succeed immediately in F1.
“I understand how nice a few of the younger drivers are. I do know Ollie [Bearman] very effectively due to my previous expertise — he was a part of our driver academy [at Ferrari] on the time,” mentioned Binotto, who served as Ferrari F1 group principal from 2019-’22. “I knew that Ollie may do very effectively in F1 and that was not a shock to me, to see how effectively he’s performing at present.
“I feel, sure, they’re all doing very effectively, and that’s nice. It’s nice for F1. However I belief all of them — I do know they’ll do effectively, and I don’t suppose that I used to be ready to see them doing effectively to decide.
“I adopted Gabriel’s profession, definitely much more intensively within the final weeks and months. I noticed him racing so effectively, being impressed by the velocity, the potential, but additionally by this capability to first develop and enhance. I feel he is likely one of the most proficient and high-potential drivers we’ve bought as rookies, and for Audi, that was a no brainer — go for it.
“So, we might have gone for Gabriel — that might have been our selection anyway. The second query we had been asking ourselves was ought to or not it’s immediately in ’25 or ought to we give him a while first to develop after which perhaps postpone to ’26?
“However lastly, sure, additionally seeing younger drivers doing effectively in F1 gave me extra confidence with the truth that Gabriel can do very effectively from the very begin, and that if any, that has been the convincing issue. Not of the general selection for a younger, fascinating younger driver for Audi — [for that] journey and undertaking it is vital and important — however extra how quickly may that perhaps be taking place; and once more, I’m satisfied he’ll do effectively from the very begin.”
Bortoleto is ready to affix Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson as rookies tackling their first full seasons in F1 subsequent yr, whereas Franco Colapinto has additionally been linked with a seat within the Pink Bull setup.
