Sauber/Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has explained why he did not retain Valtteri Bottas or rule out Mick Schumacher for his team.
So why was he seduced by a pilot, Gabriel Bortoleto, with whom he had never worked? The Italian described it as “a fantastic driver with great potential”.
After winning the F3 title in his first season, Bortoleto joined the McLaren driver development program late last year. He got his first taste of F1 this year at the Red Bull Ring, in a 2022 F1 car, and bounced back from a slow start to his first F2 campaign to become the championship leader and title favorite over Hadjar .
It was this mid-year turnaround that caught Binotto’s attention and encouraged the Italian to take a closer look at the 20-year-old Brazilian’s efforts.
“I have seen that his career has proven that he is a fantastic driver with great potential because of what he has already achieved and what he is achieving at the moment in F2.”
“The way he drives impressed me and even more, as I told him, is his ability to develop, improve and progress throughout the season. He does it in F2. The beginning was difficult, but then he was really able to not lose focus on what he was trying to accomplish.”
“He has shown progress this season and that is what matters most to me.”
Binotto revealed that he met Bortoleto a few weeks ago in his office in Hinwil and was immediately “impressed by his personality, his attitude and his state of mind”.
It was after this meeting that Sauber/Audi accelerated negotiations to take the Brazilian from McLaren.
“I don’t think he is only a fantastic driver, with high potential, but he is also a great person, and that is also something that matters for our project, it is very important. I am very happy so having Gabriel on the team.”
And how much did Audi pay McLaren? Nothing at all!
“I didn’t discuss money with Zak [Brown] if not just to say hello and shake his hand. We didn’t pay. Gabriel was free to go because he had the opportunity. to go to F1.”
Bortoleto is managed by Fernando Alonso’s driver management agency, A14. Binotto knows Alonso well from their time together at Ferrari, but the Italian said he had very little contact with the two-time world champion regarding the Brazilian driver.
“I know Fernando very well from my past experience. But he never influenced me, never tried to come to me with a convincing argument because I think what convinced me was Gabriel , nothing else. So with Fernando, yes, I had a conversation but really, very little.
F1 will focus on youth in 2025 with Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson and now Bortoleto. A question of fashion, a decisive factor?
“They’re all performing really well. It’s great for the sport. It’s great for F1. I know they can do well, but I don’t think I was waiting to see them do well to take a decision.”
“I have followed Gabriel’s career, certainly even more intensely over the last few weeks and months. I saw him run and run so well, I was impressed by his speed, his potential.”
“His ability to develop and improve has impressed me and if I look around I think he is one of the most talented and high-potential drivers we have. And for Audi, it “It was obvious – we had to go for it.”
During the internal debate on whether to rely on youth or experience, Binotto admitted that continuing with Bottas for a year had been considered… then discarded. Which explains why things lasted a bit.
“The last question we had was whether it should go straight to 2025 or whether we should give it some time to develop and then maybe delay it until 2026, but ultimately we said ‘ let’s launch it.”
“Maybe seeing young drivers succeed in F1 especially gave me more confidence, because yes, Gabriel can do very well from the start.”
For his part, Bortoleto confirmed that he could drive from the private tests following Abu Dhabi for Stake F1.
“My experience is still limited in F1, so it will be good to be able to do it.”
“I only did one day with McLaren. It was at the Red Bull Ring, and it was a great day. And yes, so the plan is to do the young driver test with Sauber at the end of the season, to get used to F1 even more and to be ready for next season.”
