Gabriel Bortoleto expressed his determination not to sit out a year of racing in 2025 after Sauber confirmed he will make his Formula 1 debut next year.
Sauber recently announced that the Formula 2 championship leader will be joining them as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate.
“It feels incredible,” Bortoleto shared with the official F1 channel. “It’s like a dream come true. Ever since I was young, I’ve had the dream of reaching F1 one day, and now, signing this contract and being on the grid in ’25, I feel very grateful and excited about it.”
Some drivers who moved from F2 to F1 had to wait a year or more, like Antonio Giovinazzi. Oscar Piastri had to sit out the 2022 season after winning the F2 title the year before, before being signed by McLaren for 2023. Jack Doohan will be making his debut for Alpine next year after not racing this season.
Bortoleto mentioned that Sauber considered whether to sign him for 2025 or have him join the team in 2026, but he pushed for a race seat next season so he wouldn’t have to stay on the sidelines.
“We’ve been discussing for a couple of months now about when it was going to happen, whether in ’26 or ’25,” he explained. “But the news for ’25 came not too long ago.
“It feels great because I didn’t want to go a year without driving. Continuing the momentum of driving – F3, F2, and now heading to F1 next year – is the best way to go about it.”
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Sauber will become Audi before the 2026 season with new power units. Bortoleto was impressed by a presentation by Audi F1’s chief operating officer Mattia Binotto about the team’s plans.
“The project that Mattia showed me about Audi in Formula 1 – the future, what they want, what Audi wants, and becoming the first Audi driver ever – is an amazing and exciting project,” he said. “So I’m eagerly looking forward to it.
“When you get the opportunity in F1, you don’t think too much about where you’ll be, but rather jump in and give it your best. I consider myself fortunate to have been offered a great project for my future on a multi-year basis.”
Bortoleto has been part of the McLaren driver development program during his rookie F2 season. He remains focused on his final two F2 rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi as a McLaren program member.
“I’m a McLaren driver until the Abu Dhabi race this Sunday,” he mentioned. “I’m still part of their academy.
“They are providing all the necessary support for these two rounds. We’ve had an exceptional season in Formula 2 so far, and we aim to finish strong. I will continue the work I’ve been doing before.”
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