One 2025 rookie must beat his ‘not the absolute top level’ teammate if he ‘wants a future’ in Formula 1

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For any Formula 1 driver, their teammate is the main competitor to beat. That is certainly the case for the 2025 rookies.

At present, three of the six new drivers on the grid are off the mark in 2025. Kimi Antonelli has scored the most points thus far, grabbing an impressive 30 from the opening four races for Mercedes.

However, Karun Chandhok thinks Isack Hadjar is the ‘standout’ rookie so far. The Frenchman has put in some standout performances in 2025 since his heartbreaking crash on his F1 debut in Melbourne.

Oliver Bearman has continued the momentum from his impressive displays in 2024, scoring six points from the last three Grand Prix. While Esteban Ocon has grabbed 14, Chandhok thinks Bearman is emerging as ‘team leader’ with his commanding drives through the field into the points.

Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto are yet to score in 2025, with each facing pressure in perform in F1 already. One of the drivers’ future depends on beating his teammate this season.

Gabriel Bortoleto must beat Nico Hulkenberg if he ‘wants a future’ in Formula 1

Bortoleto has signed a multi-year deal with Sauber that will see him become an Audi driver in 2026, along with Nico Hulkenberg. The former comes with high potential after winning the F3 and F2 titles back-to-back, while the latter has a wealth of experience on the F1 grid.

The German scored Sauber’s first points of the season in Melbourne with P7 – beating the team’s 2024 points tally already by two points. Sauber do not expect to repeat the result on merit in 2025, which spells bad news for Bortoleto.

According to journalist Andrew Benson via The Chequered Flag podcast, the Brazilian must beat Hulkenberg if he ‘wants a future’ in F1: “So in Bortoleto’s case, he’s got a lot of promise, managed by Alonso.

“I think his bottom line is he’s got to beat Nico Hulkenberg. If he doesn’t beat Nico Hulkenberg…

“Hulkenberg is a solid, competent driver who’s been around for a long time, got a lot of experience but he’s not the absolute top level. If Bortoleto wants a future, he’s got to beat Hulkenberg, he’s got to think about nothing else.”

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

Can Gabriel Bortoleto get the edge over Nico Hulkenberg?

While he is driving the slowest car on the grid, Bortoleto has displayed some promise in F1. He put his C45 into Q2 in Melbourne, albeit he crashed out of the race in the tricky conditions.

Bortoleto has impressed Sauber with his feedback behind the scenes as the 20-year-old looks to establish his authority with the team. But Hulkenberg is proving strong competition for the Brazilian.

Bortoleto is behind in the qualifying and Grand Prix battle at Sauber, with him currently looking unlikely to score points besides major misfortune for his rivals.

Audi were having doubts surrounding their driver pairing, despite signing them to multi-year contracts. However, Bortoleto has impressed Sauber so much that the German manufacturer is now set to keep them on board.

However, the Brazilian will be under pressure to get the better of his teammate. Bortoleto ‘doesn’t want’ the same career as Hulkenberg – he has failed to score a podium in 231 Grand Prix starts – and he will be keen to build up towards a top three finish.