Mattia Binotto names two Valtteri Bottas alternatives for Sauber’s 2025 driver line-up

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Another race weekend has been and gone with Sauber racing around at the back of the grid praying for a miracle that might earn them their first point of the season.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both managed to avoid finishing last at the Italian Grand Prix despite starting on the back row of the grid but only because of Lance Stroll’s botched three-stop strategy.

With the prospect of Audi taking over Sauber looming, their new head of F1 Mattia Binotto is taking a greater interest in the team.

Binotto was at Monza to support the team but wouldn’t have been particularly impressed with what he saw.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Sauber and Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto

After a phenomenal season, he would have been slightly concerned by new driver Nico Hulkenberg’s shunt in the race that forced Yuki Tsunoda to retire and ended his hopes of scoring points despite reaching Q3.

Binotto’s attention now needs to turn to hiring Hulkenberg’s teammate and speaking to the media in the paddock, via RacingNews365, he provided an update on his shortlist for the second seat.

Valtteri Bottas is considered the favourite to be retained but that doesn’t appear to be a foregone conclusion.

Instead, Binotto namechecked Sauber reserve driver Theo Pourchaire and McLaren youngster Gabriel Bortoleto as two youngsters he’s taking a close look at.

Pourchaire hasn’t had a straightforward year since winning the Formula 2 championship last year.

Meanwhile, Bortoleto is a man in brilliant form and Fernando Alonso was seriously impressed by Bortoleto at Monza this weekend.

Mattia Binotto considering Theo Pourchaire and Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 Sauber seat

Talking about the second Sauber seat, Binotto said: “Theo is our present reserve driver and is already part of the family, and no doubt that he is on our list.

“Gabriel is doing very well in F2, he has shown to be a great talent. Certainly we are looking to what he is doing as we are looking to many others, I don’t see that as the only name in which we are focusing our attention.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

“So there are many names on the list, great potential, great expertise, great experience. Again, it’s a matter of you need to judge what’s most important for us in the short, medium and long term.

“A clear, clear plan, which today I do not have really an answer for.”

Ted Kravitz rules out another driver who wanted a Sauber seat next season

Only Sauber and RB haven’t confirmed their driver line-ups for next year and seeing as Red Bull will decide among their roster of drivers who will partner Yuki Tsunoda, Sauber’s second seat is suddenly an appealing option.

Bottas and Sauber have different ideas about his next contract which is why the likes of Bortoleto and Pourchaire may feel they can step up into his seat in 2025.

Bortoleto held talks with Sauber at Zandvoort and suddenly he has a great chance of winning the F2 title.

Unfortunately, Ted Kravitz believes that Zhou Guanyu is seeing his F1 career coming to an end at the conclusion of this season.

After three seasons, Zhou hasn’t made the steps forward expected although it’s hard to criticise him too harshly given how bad Sauber’s car is this year.

Binotto needs to decide whether he wants another experienced driver alongside Hulkenberg next year, or if it’s time to give another young star a chance in 2025.