Sauber is the only team with an open seat for the 2025 season, apart from the two Red Bull-linked teams, whose lineups are still unclear after recent changes. 

As the team gets ready for Audi’s takeover set for 2026, they've already signed experienced German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who was Audi’s, as a German manufacturer, first choice.

With Hulkenberg confirmed, the team has yet to announce who will fill the second seat with the hottest candidates being Valtteri Bottas and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Even tough Sauber will most likely go for Bottas’ experience with the team and in Formula 1 generally, Bortoleto is still not rulled out of the competition completely.

The young Brazilian driver, who won the F3 championship in 2023, is currently at the top of the Formula 2 standings in his rookie season, demonstrating his talent and promising racing future.

However, two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso thinks that Bortoleto is not quite ready to step up to the premier class just yet.

"He [Bortoleto] is an incredible talent," said Alonso quoted by RacingNews365.

"But, at the same time, Brazil has a lot of history in Formula 1. A lot of background in great drivers, and maybe some pressure as well.

"We need to give Gabriel his time as well. His time in Formula 1 will arrive. We don't need to take any shortcut that can compromise the development of his talent.

"He needs to get to in the right time and when he's totally prepared, and in the right team and the right environment - that's the biggest challenge, to combine the pressure and the motivation to get to F1 to the common sense when it's the best time."

The 2025 F1 season is set to welcome several rookies, with Oliver Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Jack Doohan already confirmed and potentially two more, including Gabriel Bortoleto, still in the game.