The identity of the second driver alongside Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber in 2025 and Audi in 2026 is finally known. After months of rumors of all kinds, it was the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (20 years old), currently leader of the Formula 2 championship with 169.5 points (4.5 units more than the Frenchman Isack Hadjar) who was appointed .
The future rookie thus beat out more experienced drivers for this wheel, including the current holders of the Swiss team, namely Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, but also Mick Schumacher. The 25-year-old German, 43 races in Formula 1 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Haas, was nevertheless a “ serious candidate » assures Mattia Binotto, director of operations for the F1 project at Audi.
« Yes, we had discussions, says Binotto on the official Formula 1 website. He was certainly a strong candidate. I know him very well from the past, I know his strengths and perhaps also his weaknesses, but he would also have been a good choice. »
« Mick would certainly have been a good choice too, adds the former Scuderia Ferrari. Sometimes you have to make certain decisions. The reason [de ne pas avoir choisi Schumacher] and that we chose Gabriel. »
Binotto put the ball back in the court of Mercedes and Toto Wolff regarding Schumacher, protégé of the Austrian and reserve of the star firm in F1. “ Why Kimi [Antonelli] and not Mick? thus questions the Transalpine. We made the decision to hire Gabriel and we are happy with it. »
Deprived of a place on the Formula 1 grid this season, Mick Schumacher found refuge in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine. He distinguished himself this season by scoring a podium at the 6 Hours of Fuji (3rd) alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere.
Schumacher has never hidden his desire to return to Formula 1. Barring an improbable turnaround, it will not be for 2025 since there is only one seat left, at Racing Bulls. His future therefore seems to continue to be written in Alpine and Endurance, if he wishes.
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