Source: REUTERS/ Andrew Boyers
[Saba Sports News] According to MOTORSPORT WEEK, Sauber’s new Chief Operating Officer Mattia Binotto intends to sign F2 rookie and McLaren junior driver Gabriel Bortoleto, pairing him with German driver Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season. Records show that Binotto’s predecessor, Andreas Seidl, signed Hulkenberg to a multi-year contract, but the other seat remains unconfirmed. Considering that Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon have signed with new teams, some fans believe Zhou Guanyu will stay with Sauber. However, Binotto has set his sights on F2’s Brazilian rookie Bortoleto, who has excelled with the Invicta team. In last year’s rookie season, Bortoleto won the F3 championship; in the 2024 F2 drivers’ standings, he ranks second with 129 points, just 36 points behind the leader. Since the 19-year-old Brazilian joined McLaren’s driver development program before his F2 season, Binotto would need to negotiate with McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown to sign Bortoleto. Sauber has a history of poaching potential drivers from competitors’ junior programs, as Zhou Guanyu was part of Alpine’s junior team before joining Sauber.