Sauber has revealed how the expectation that it will struggle in the 2025 Formula 1 season inspired the team’s choice to choose Gabriel Bortoleto over Valtteri Bottas.
The Hinwil-based squad announced earlier this week that Bortoleto will partner Nico Hulkenberg, who signed a long-term deal back in April, in a new line-up next term.
Bortoleto securing a promotion to the top flight has meant that Bottas’ F1 career is set to end in three races time as the last remaining seats are in the Red Bull stable.
Bottas had been under consideration to retain the seat that he’s held since 2022 into another season and he even divulged that terms over a renewal had been agreed.
However, Sauber has overlooked Bottas’ experience to sign a rookie in Bortoleto, who heads the Formula 2 championship in his maiden season with two rounds to go.
Sauber boss Mattia Binotto has insisted that there was no problem in his relationship with the Finn as he opened up on the discussions the duo had in recent months.
“I’m getting on very well with Valtteri,” Binotto said. “It has been a great relationship since I’ve started here in August, building it, trusting each other.
“I think we really set up and had good communication between us.
“We had several talks about the journey, the length and duration of the journey, and the difficulties we will maybe face in the next seasons.”
Sauber expects to struggle in 2025
Sauber, which will transition into the works Audi operation in 2026, has encountered a nightmare season as it remains the sole team not to have scored a single point.
Binotto explained that the realisation the Swiss outfit will be on the back foot in the final campaign under the current regulations prompted the decision to look ahead.
“We know that the next one will be a difficult season as a team, as a journey towards the Audi F1 transformation,” he added. “It’s a long journey.
“I think on the duration is where we mainly reflected together a lot, and it’s where I came to the conclusion that maybe we will need to have a young driver with us.
“So all of it with him has been a mutual, let’s say, understanding — if not agreement, certainly a mutual understanding — of the situation, the facts and what’s required.”
Bottas was a ‘strong candidate’ to remain
Binotto stressed that Bottas, a 10-time F1 race winner, was a “strong candidate” to remain with the squad amid an impressive campaign in an uncompetitive machine.
“More than that, I would like to underline I think he has certainly been a very strong candidate,” the Swiss-Italian engineer stated. “I know he’s very fast.
“I know that he has proven to be very fast until today, very fit, he knows the team. Certainly he is very highly rated here, and he’s very highly rated in the paddock.
“So overall it has not been an easy one, but sometimes you need to come to a conclusion and make a decision. And we made it.”
READ MORE – The circumstances that led to Valtteri Bottas’ impending Sauber F1 exit
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