Written by Vyas Ponnuri
After much deliberation and discussion, KICK Sauber have finally announced the much-awaited decision to sign Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto to partner Nico Hülkenberg from the 2025 Formula One season.
The Brazilian youngster has been rising up the ranks of junior series along the Road to Formula One, having championed in Formula 3 last year for Trident, and leading the Formula 2 standings in 2024 for constructors' championship leaders Invicta Racing.
He fended off multiple candidates for a seat at the team in green for 2025, including the incumbent Valtteri Bottas, and Williams rising star Franco Colapinto, who were stern candidates for the seat.
The Brazilian, who turned 20 in October, was also a part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, spurring on his Formula 2 campaign. Bortoleto was cheered on by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella after his maiden Formula 2 victory in Austria.
Bortoleto's chances were bolstered by McLaren confirming they would be willing to release him from their driver development programme, and not hinder his progress up to Formula One, as team principal Andrea Stella expressed over the Bortoleto's home race weekend in Brazil.
He also becomes Brazil's first full-time Formula One driver since Felipe Massa retired in 2017, ending the nation's long wait for their next hero.
"This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports." Bortoleto described.
"Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honour. 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.”
The Brazilian expressed his gratitude in response to a question from DIVEBOMB during the post-race press conference at Austria, expressing how being a McLaren junior had helped sharpen both his racecraft as well as his personality as a racer.
Bortoleto's Red Bull Ring victory was only a glimpse of the sheer talent at his disposal. He would thrill the crowd later in the year at Monza, after some stellar overtaking from last on the grid and a well-timed safety car allowed Bortoleto to jump into the race lead, and eventually pull off one of Formula 2's finest feats.
This came only 24 hours after he had carved his way through the field in the sprint race, moving up from 22nd on the grid to finish eighth at the flag, and grab home a point to boot.
Bortoleto's performances in 2024 have propelled him to the lead of the Formula 2 standings, as he sits only 4.5 points ahead of Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, with two rounds of Formula One's premier feeder series to go in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Yet, he can breathe easy now, heading into the final double header, knowing he has a seat in the top flight of single seater motorsport.
While he will be up against a field stacked with rookies and veterans alike in 2025, Bortoleto will take faith from his learnings as a McLaren junior driver, and from none other than Nico Hulkenberg alongside him. The German, who has started over 200 Formula One races, will be a worthy adversary for Bortoleto to learn from, and harness his racecraft and skill set next season.
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