F1 team postpone 2025 line-up announcement amid fears of ‘media onslaught’ at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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The Formula 1 season comes to an end next month, and yet three teams still haven’t officially confirmed their line-ups for 2025. Much of the attention is on Red Bull.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen will stay, but Sergio Perez could lose his drive. Perez is in breach of contract after failing to meet performance clauses in a miserable campaign.

Liam Lawson is the favourite to partner Verstappen next year, with Perez likely to drop out of F1 altogether. That in turn will leave a vacancy alongside Yuki Tsunoda at RB.

The obvious candidate would be Isack Hadjar, the Red Bull junior who’s competing for the F2 title. However, they could instead sign Franco Colapinto from Williams.

Colapinto is seeking funding from Carlos Slim, which could make him even more appealing to Christian Horner after his breakout performances. The Argentine had been in contention to join Sauber, but that seat looks to be going elsewhere.

The Swiss outfit, who will become Audi in 2026, have been in the market for their second driver since they signed Nico Hulkenberg at the end of April. The incumbents, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, are likely to lose out.

Audi didn’t want to announce Gabriel Bortoleto at Brazilian Grand Prix

According to German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Audi have chosen Gabriel Bortoleto for 2025. They will acquire him from the McLaren driver academy.

The report states that the contract is ‘fixed’ and the announcement is ‘imminent’. Finally, the search appears to be at an end.

One would think, given that Bortoleto is Brazilian, that the Sao Paulo Grand Prix would be the perfect time for an unveiling. But Sauber are apparently wary of a ‘media onslaught’.

They want to protect the 20-year-old, who’s leading the F2 championship and won the F3 title last year. But he will become the fourth rookie on the 2025 grid after Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Jack Doohan (Alpine).

How Valtteri Bottas potentially cost himself a Sauber seat

Bottas is perhaps the biggest casualty of the Bortoleto decision. He’s won 10 Grands Prix and scored 67 podiums, but his time in F1 may now be up.

While he sits bottom of the drivers’ championship by virtue of Zhou’s 11th-place finish in Bahrain, he’s clearly the stronger driver at Sauber. Indeed, he leads the qualifying head-to-head 16-4.

However, Bottas asked for too much money, according to a recent report. That request was unlikely to be received well in the context of a scoreless season.

Bottas’ connections to Toto Wolff may also have harmed his chances. The Mercedes team principal continues to be part of his management set-up, which Audi felt compromised their independence.