Audi told the ‘issue’ stopping Sauber from signing McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto

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Gabriel Bortoleto is knocking on the door of Formula 1 and is leading the championship in F2 with just two rounds to go.

The Brazilian driver is a contender to step up to the highest level for the 2025 season after a successful junior career.

Bortoleto is in contention to race in Formula 1 next year, as Sauber are looking for a driver to partner Nico Hulkenberg.

Sauber have struggled this season, and the Swiss team have been rooted to the back of the grid as Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have suffered from a difficult car.

Bortoleto is linked to McLaren and is part of their junior programme, but he could be loaned out to Sauber before they become Audi in 2026.

Yet Laurence Edmondson has explained on the Unlapped podcast that there could be some complications for Sauber if they wanted to sign Bortoleto for the 2025 season alongside Hulkenberg.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s link to McLaren could be an ‘issue’ if Sauber wanted to sign the Brazilian

Bortoleto has driven well in Formula 2 this season but he has a very limited amount of experience in Formula 1, as he is yet to make his debut in an FP1 session.

The McLaren junior also doesn’t have many options in F1 for next season with Sauber one of the few teams looking for a driver.

Other contenders include Bottas, who is very experienced, and already embedded within the team as he gets towards the end of his third season there.

Franco Colapinto has impressed at Williams since making his debut at the Italian Grand Prix, and could be in the frame for the Sauber seat.

READ MORE: Sauber facing ‘buyout’ issue with trying to sign Gabriel Bortoleto from McLaren

Edmondson explained that keeping Bottas for 2025 would be a safe option and the McLaren link could compromise any interest in Bortoleto.

He said: “They’ll be Audi. They’re trying to basically lay the framework that they need to build upon. In many ways, Valtteri Bottas is a very safe pair of hands.

“They’ve got Nico Hulkenberg there already. It’d be super experienced, a couple of drivers, just to get through that season, get the points when they.

“But if they can get their hands on someone like Gabriel Bortoleto, [a] new young Brazilian driver in F2, currently associated with McLaren, and I think that’s part of the issue is that I’m not entirely sure on the contract situation there, but why would McLaren let him go to Audi?”

Gabriel Bortoleto would be a risky signing for Sauber for 2025

The Brazilian driver has had a superb Formula 2 season but due to his lack of experience in Formula 1 machinery, he is more of an unknown quantity.

Bortoleto may also want to keep his options open if a drive becomes available at McLaren in the near future although Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are performing well.

Other young drivers such as Colapinto have competed in multiple Formula 1 races, and proven they can battle effectively.

Bortoleto has been successful on the path to Formula 1, winning the FIA F3 title last season but he hasn’t experienced the pressure of driving in an F1 session.