Valtteri Bottas appears set to lose his Sauber seat for the 2025 Formula 1 season, with Audi F1 reportedly preparing to announce the signing of McLaren junior driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
This initial rumor was confirmed by the team on Tuesday morning. The Switzerland-based team announced in April that it had secured Nico Hulkenberg from Haas.
However, Audi F1 had to go through other options for its second seat after top targets Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon decided to join Williams and Haas, respectively, for the 2025 season.
The second seat has been linked to a range of drivers in recent months, including current Sauber drivers Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, former Haas driver Mick Schumacher, Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich, Sauber reserve Theo Pourchaire, and Williams’ 2024 super-sub Franco Colapinto.
Bottas, a 10-time race winner in F1 with Mercedes, told media at the recent United States Grand Prix, including PlanetF1.com, that he had agreed to terms on a deal to remain with Sauber for next season, but was still waiting for a final decision from Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto.
It now appears that the Finnish driver will be without a seat for 2025, as Audi F1 is close to securing the signature of 20-year-old Brazilian talent Gabriel Bortoleto.
According to a report from German publication Auto Motor und Sport, a contract to sign Bortoleto has been “finalised,” and an announcement is expected soon.
Audi F1 reportedly chose not to announce Bortoleto’s signing during last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix to avoid overwhelming the young driver with media attention at his home race.
The Sao Paulo-born driver is set to become the first full-time Brazilian F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017.
Currently leading the prestigious F2 series (formerly GP2), Bortoleto holds a 4.5-point lead over Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar with only two rounds left, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Managed by Aston Martin driver and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, Bortoleto has been part of McLaren’s junior academy since last year.
Although McLaren’s current race drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, are under long-term contracts, team principal Andrea Stella recently indicated a willingness to allow Bortoleto to pursue an F1 race seat with Audi.
Stella told reporters in Brazil, “Having the possibility to talk about Gabriel, I would like to take this opportunity to say once again how good of work he’s been doing in junior categories — winning F3, leading F2 at the first season,” he said during the FIA press conference on Friday.
“And this is to lead into the fact that I think it’s very, very normal and natural that Formula 1 teams are interested in having Gabriel as a driver.
“McLaren will not stop the possibility for Gabriel to drive Formula 1. So conversations are ongoing, and we will see what the scenario will [be for] the future.”
It remains uncertain whether Bortoleto’s arrangement with Audi F1 will be a loan deal. However, Binotto, who took over the Audi F1 program from former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl in July, is reportedly interested in a permanent move.
If Bortoleto’s signing is confirmed, it would likely bring an end to Bottas’s current F1 career. Since his debut with Williams in 2013, the Finnish driver has been a regular presence on the F1 grid.
Bottas has been linked with a return to Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025, with hopes of securing a race seat again by the 2026 season.
Speaking to media, including PlanetF1.com, at last month’s Mexican Grand Prix, Bottas shared that he would be open to rejoining Mercedes as a reserve if an Audi F1 race drive did not materialize.
He said, “Firstly, the priority is to stay as a race driver, that’s what I want, and that’s what I’m pushing for with Mattia.”
“But, of course, as I don’t have anything signed – we’re in October – I’ve got to look at all the alternatives including going back to the Mercedes family.
“That’s for sure one option, and I would consider it. “But there’s other options as well, as well as going back to my priority, which is to be a race driver even more.”