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

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Much has been made over who Sauber will sign alongside Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season and beyond, as rumours over the driver market gather traction at the end of the year.

Valtteri Bottas is expected to sign another one-year deal with Sauber but after that, the team is reportedly looking for more long-term options.

Williams star Franco Colapinto was initially linked to a move after three successful debut races, in which he outscored former driver Logan Sargeant’s points career total in one race at the Azerbaijan GP.

Colapinto was eying a seat for next year according to reports, but complications in getting the funding necessary means it is unlikely he will be able to get the seat for 2025 and will instead assess his options for 2026.

McLaren protege Gabriele Bortoleto, who is currently leading the F2 feeder series, has been named as a potential future driver but there is one problem facing him making the switch according to journalist Edd Straw on The Race podcast.

Sauber faces buyout issue from McLaren with Gabriel Bortoleto

Any move to Sauber could likely result in him severing ties with McLaren’s junior driver programme, but to do that the team must pay him out of his current contract.

According to Straw, McLaren’s preference for Bortoleto might not be a viable option for Sauber either as they are looking for something long term ahead of their Audi takeover.

“Sauber will want to actually own the driver that they’re signing in terms of owning their contract,” said Straw.

“A loan deal for Bortoletto, which is what McLaren appears to prefer, doesn’t seem to be very viable and the buyout will probably be far too high to justify that. So it will be interesting to see how that particular seat goes.”

Williams and McLaren open to loaning their development drivers

Williams team principal James Vowles has confirmed they have spoken to Audi over potentially allowing Colapinto to join Sauber on loan, while Andrea Stella has also had separate conversations about Bortoleto.

But with Sauber set to side with Bottas, it could complicate things for them getting a seat ahead of the 2026 season.

READ MORE: F1 2025 driver line-up with every team’s confirmed entry for the grid

Bottas is seen as an experienced hand during what is likely to be another tough season for Sauber, as they continue to try and catch up with rivals from what has so far been a pointless season for them.

Having either rookie in the team might lead to unintended consequences such as a high crash damage bill, after Colapinto had a sizable crash during the Azerbaijan GP weekend.