Audi in F1 2025 U-turn as Valtteri Bottas out and deal with replacement 'finalised'
Former Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas has been very confident in his public statements about his future with Sauber, but new reports suggest Audi might yet replace him
by Daniel Moxon · The MirrorValtteri Bottas faces the potential end of his Formula 1 career as Audi have reportedly "finalised" their 2025 Sauber driver line-up.
And, despite the Finn's confidence that he would land a new deal with, it appears they have gone down a different road. The seat alongside new signing Nico Hulkenberg is one of the last to be confirmed for next season, along with one of the seats at Red Bull sister squad RB.
Hulkenberg was landed in April but Audi missed out on their other main target, Carlos Sainz, who chose instead to move to Williams. Ever since, the Germans have been patient, assessing their options after most others finalised their 2025 driver plans.
Bottas and Zhou Guanyu each hope to keep their places despite knowing that at least one of them will be without a drive. And Audi have also been looking at external candidates for the other Sauber seat.
Current reserve driver Theo Pourchaire, last season's Formula 2 champion, has been in the frame, as has Mick Schumacher who has this year been driving for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship. More recently, McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto has emerged as a strong contender.
According to German publication Auto Motor und Sport, the latter has won the race for the vacancy. The report claims a contract with the Brazilian has been "finalised", with an announcement potentially before the next F1 race in Las Vegas.
Mirror Sport understands McLaren will not stand in the way of Bortoleto joining another team as there will be no room in their own line-up any time soon, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both tied down to long-term deals. The 20-year-old currently leads the F2 championship, three and a half points ahead of Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar.
If confirmed, Bortoleto's first chance in F1 could spell the end of Bottas' career in the sport. Sauber have not scored a single point this season having produced a wretched car in which the Finn has been able to do little more than consistently out-perform Chinese team-mate Zhou.
He won 10 races across five seasons as partner to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, before joining Sauber in 2022 after George Russell took his place. The 35-year-old said last month he had agreed terms on a new deal, but was waiting for new chief, former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, to give the green light.
If the extension Bottas expected does not come, he admitted he could return to Mercedes as a reserve to keep his foot in the door to the F1 paddock. "I have got to look at all the alternatives including going back to the Mercedes family," he said. "That is for sure one option and I would consider it."
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