2025 rookie just likened himself to Charles Leclerc as he insists he deserves F1 seat

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The 2025 Formula 1 season will see six new full-time drivers join the grid, four of which being rookies.

After making 11 Grand Prix appearances with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson will get his chance alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull. The Kiwi driver will replace Sergio Perez as he snubs his teammate Yuki Tsunoda of the seat.

Oliver Bearman will get a full-time seat alongside Esteban Ocon at Haas after making three sub appearances in 2024. The Brit became the first driver to score points in his first two races with two different teams, finishing seventh on debut with Ferrari in Jeddah and 10th with Haas in Baku.

Jack Doohan will race full-time with Alpine in 2025, after making his debut at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in place of Ocon to prepare him for next season. Doohan is already facing pressure from Paul Aron, who will be the team’s reserve driver and an alternative if the Aussie struggles.

Mercedes have signed teenage sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the replacement for Lewis Hamilton after the 18-year-old finished sixth in Formula 2 this season. F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar will be promoted to Racing Bulls as Red Bull rearrange their driver line-up for 2025.

The Frenchman missed out on the F2 title to Gabriel Bortoleto, who will also join the grid with Sauber, later Audi in 2026.

Gabriel Bortoleto likens himself to Charles Leclerc after winning the F3 and F2 title

Bortoleto will become the first full-time Brazilian F1 driver since 2017 when he joins the grid. The 20-year-old will be partnered with Nico Hulkenberg, who will rejoin Sauber after his departure from Haas.

Bortoleto has signed a deal with Sauber until 2026, which will see him become an Audi works driver when the German manufacturer enters the sport.

Managed by Fernando Alonso, the Brazilian joins F1 off the back of winning the F3 and F2 titles consecutively in his rookie season. This impressive feat puts him among the likes of Oscar Piastri, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, who also won both championships before joining F1.

And speaking with the official F1 website, Bortoleto likened himself to the trio as he insists that by winning both F3 and F2, his position in F1 is beyond question.

He said: “I proved to myself that by winning F3 and F2, I deserve to be here. I didn’t get the deal because of anything else, I did this because I won both Championships, like Piastri, Russell and Leclerc.”

Can Gabriel Bortoleto perform with Sauber in 2025?

Manager Alonso thinks Bortoleto will be 2025’s best rookie off the back of his standout performances in F2 this year, but the Brazilian will face a tough challenge in his debut season in F1.

Sauber finished bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 with just four points as they languished towards the back of the grid. With 2025 not expected to bring much change in terms of development, Bortoleto is set to compete with underperforming machinery.

But the 20-year-old is already looking to make an impression at the Swiss outfit. Bortoleto caught everyone’s attention with his communication during his post-season test with Sauber in Abu Dhabi.

The Brazilian’s ability is clear to see and while he does face a difficult season ahead, he will certainly be looking to extract the best out of the car and score points where and when he can.