Gabriel Bortoleto set to lead Audi’s Formula 1 future alongside Nico Hulkenberg

“And he pulled the podium out of something that you never thought halfway through the race was going to be a podium.”

He also pointed to Bortoleto’s rapid rise through motorsport’s junior ranks as another factor: “And then with Gabby, it’s quite clear you know Formula 3 champion first year, Formula 2 champion first year, not a bad result, is it really?”

McNish continued: “He’s got a very level, calm head about him. And I think it is exactly a perfect scenario where you’ve got someone who has got that experience [and] someone who is fresh into the environment with so much potential.

“But also, the two of them work together very well. They’re not political; they’re not fighting against each other. They realise that actually there is quite a long journey ahead and they’ve got to work together.

“The whole team aspect on both sides of the garage working together as well [is important], and I think the drivers lead that to a great extent.”

Sauber looking ahead to Audi Era as 2025 driver lineup finalised

Sauber are set to race under their own name for the last time before Audi completes its takeover of the team this winter. The German manufacturer is a well-known name across motorsport, but this will be its first appearance on the Formula 1 grid.

The process started in 2022, and last year, team chief Mattia Binotto had to decide which drivers would represent the brand in its first season.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were Sauber’s drivers last year, but the Finn failed to score a point in the drivers’ championship, and Zhou only saved their blushes with a P8 finish at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg was confirmed earlier in the year as a Sauber driver for 2025 after a strong spell at Haas, but it took some time before Bortoleto was announced as his teammate.

Bortoleto isn’t well known among casual fans just yet, but he’s caught attention early in his F1 career. Allan McNish has been working closely with Audi ahead of their F1 debut and spoke about why Bortoleto is an ideal fit alongside Hulkenberg this season.

He explained why Gabriel Bortoleto presented himself as the ‘perfect’ driver to partner Hulkenberg this season, replacing Bottas in the process.

Gabriel Bortoleto is already attracting interest from Ferrari as Valtteri Bottas returns to Formula 1

Bortoleto had a slow start to the season as Sauber looked like they might be languishing at the bottom of the constructors’ championship once again.

However, he scored his first points at Spielberg and has already shown better form than Hulkenberg in qualifying so far this season.

Kravitz said all top teams are keeping an eye on Bortoleto. However, despite being mentioned by both Aston Martin and Ferrari during contract discussions last season, he appears focused on staying with Audi for now.

The partnership between Hulkenberg and Bortoleto looks promising. The former won over many fans with strong showings at Silverstone and Singapore last year, while McNish was quick to highlight Bortoleto’s strong mental approach even before his breakthrough performances later that season.