Sauber signing rookie Bortoleto to replace Valtteri Bottas in 2025

One of the two open seats left in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship grid is now filled. Sauber announced Wednesday that FIA Formula 2 points leader Gabriel Bortoleto will pair with Nico Hulkenberg for the team next season.

The team confirmed Bortoleto's signing hours after announcing current drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas will not be returning next season.

Bortoleto signed with the McLaren junior program last season when he won the FIA Formula 3 championship. The Brazilian could be the first driver to win the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in consecutive season since current McLaren driver did it Oscar Piastri in 2020-21.

As part of his deal with Sauber, McLaren is releasing the 20-year-old from its program.

Bortoleto is the fourth driver set for a Formula 1 debut in 2025. He joins Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), and Jack Doohan (Alpine).

The final open seat on the 2025 Formula 1 grid is with the Visa Cash App RB team opposite Yuki Tsunoda.

Bottas, a 10-time grand prix race winner, joined the sport in 2013 with Williams. The 35-year-old from Finland had spent four seasons there before a stint from 2017 to 2021 with Mercedes. He signed with Sauber starting in 2022 and had his best result with the team in that year's Bahrain Grand Prix (fifth).

Zhou, 24, of China, has spent the last three years with Sauber as well and has the team's best result of this season so far with 11th in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

With three races left this season, Sauber is the only team without a world championship point. Sauber trails Williams by 17 points in the constructors' championship ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 23.

--Field Level Media