Written by Rohan Brown, Edited by Meghana Sree
With the recent announcement of Gabriel Bortoleto to sign with Sauber for the 2025 Formula One season (and beyond), is it a good idea or a bad one?
One of the benefits of choosing Bortoleto over an experienced driver such as Valtteri Bottas is that he brings fantastic fresh talent to a Sauber team that has been declining in performance recently. He may be the exact type of driver the Audi project is looking for, as this talent has been reflected throughout his career so far.
Most impressively, if he manages to clinch the F2 championship (which he is currently leading), he will join an exclusive group of drivers such as Charles Leclerc and George Russell as drivers who have won F3 and F2 back-to-back on their paths to Formula One.
Bortoleto is one of the numerous promising drivers recently emerging from the junior series to prove their ability, and why they deserve a shot in F1.
He also brings to the team a wealth of junior motorsport success and experience. An excellent example of this is his last to first victory in the Monza F2 feature race this year. His potential shows he may have the edge over Bottas and might prove to be a better option in the long run.
Sauber will arguably be a blessing in disguise for the rookie, as a backmarker team like Sauber would inevitably come with lower expectations and will prove a difficult environment to consistently show what he’s capable of.
Speaking about the announcement, Bortoleto said: “This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport”, showing he is ready for the Audi transition and the future it presents, and I too am excited to see what this transfer promises.
However, I do recognise the risks of this transfer.
Firstly, there is always some degree of uncertainty to rookie moves in Formula One, no matter the talent they produce in feeder series, as the pressure of entering F1 can sometimes be challenging for rookies. There is much to adapt to with the jump from F2 to Formula One, causing some to struggle. It can be argued this was the main factor that plagued Logan Sargeant’s F1 career.
Furthermore, choosing someone who has little Formula One experience over an established driver like Bottas for a team who is going through a transition could be a risk. Given most of the other rookies are joining established teams, choosing a rookie to be one of the leaders in a change for the team could potentially prove a problem for Audi.
This is because their transition into becoming a works team has not been easy, having sold off a stake in their team already (for a team that has not raced yet) and with Mattia Binotto himself admitting success in F1 with Audi will be like climbing Mount Everest.
Examples like these imply that hiring a rookie for a team that themselves have faced various issues on their journey to Formula One may not be the right call.
There is also a degree of uncertainty with Audi's performance when they join Formula One. We don't know how they will perform on the grid till it happens in two year’s time, which can always be a strong argument for keeping an experienced driver.
Moreover, Bottas is a driver who isn’t past his prime. We’ve seen it with examples such as Bahrain 2022 qualifying and race, with a sixth place finish in an Alfa Romeo. If handed a good performing car, he can provide quality for a team, especially one that is going through a transition like Sauber.
To summarise my thoughts I think this move is a strong one overall, and although it is the sacrifice of experience in Bottas, I am excited to see how this pans out in the future.
I think the raw talent of Bortoleto will ensure a successful beginning to life in Formula One next year and he will certainly contribute a fresh perspective during Sauber’s transition into Audi in 2026.
Moreover, it’s great to seal a fourth rookie in Bortoleto (now the most number of rookies to join since 2019), but still equally as unfortunate to see a driver like Bottas go, no matter the issues he has faced this year.
Nevertheless, this is how the business of Formula One goes — it is a fiercely competitive and harsh environment at the top.
Comments