Although Valtteri Bottas is a “strong driver”, Sauber’s Alessandro Alunni Bravi says they are evaluating “other opportunities” for their second F1 2025 seat.
Sauber already have one driver locked in for next season having announced back in April already that Nico Hulkenberg would join the team on a multi-year contract that would take him into the Audi era in 2026.
Sauber still deciding between experience or youth
His team-mate though, has yet to be decided.
Both Bottas and his current team-mate Zhou Guanyu are keen to remain with the team, especially as they have no other options for next season with only the Red Bull seats still set in stone.
But while Bottas told the media in Baku that he is “positive” but “really shouldn’t say too much”, Alunni Bravi says the 10-time Grand Prix winner is just one option.
Asked if Sauber want experience or someone new, Bravi replied: “This is the current assessment that Mattia is doing. He just started two weeks ago, so we have said already in Monza that he’s taking charge of all the dossiers and the drivers is of course one of the most important ones.
“We are evaluating all the options to see which is the best balance between a short-term experience and medium, long-term, maybe young talent. There are potential candidates on both sides.
“Valtteri is a strong driver for our team. We know him very well. He has been with the team already for three years, and of course he’s one on top of our list.
“But there are other opportunities. We are just looking at all the pros and cons, and Mattia will take a decision based not only on 2025, but also the medium-long-term strategy for the Audi F1 project.”
How the F1 2025 grid is shaping up
Should Sauber go down the youth path, the team is said to be considering McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto, who is P2 in the 2024 Formula 2 championship.
The Sauber representative was also asked about the incoming Hulkenberg who joins the team after two years with Haas where he currently sits P11 in the Drivers’ Championship.
“Of course we have been quite early into the driver’s market this year,” he said. “We tried to anticipate the market and I think it was a good idea and a good move after what we have seen in the second part of the season. but Nico is a very strong driver for us.
“He’s a good qualifier and this is one point that will be even more important in the future. We have seen how much qualifying is crucial in Formula 1 and he has this kind of characteristic.
“He is also a straightforward guy and we need you know people that you know speak clearly within the team. We have a lot of challenges ahead of us and there will be no politics, just hard work ahead of us, and I think Nico can fit properly into the Audi F1 project.
“He has at the same time a lot of experience in Formula 1. And of course, to have a solid foundation and an experienced guy in the team will help at the initial stage of the Audi F1 project. So I can just see positive things about him.
“And we are excited to have him in the next year together with the team. But now we need to be focused on our drivers and to get out of this season. the very best.”
