As the F1 2025 grid nears completion, one team yet to make their final move are Sauber as their Audi F1 transition draws closer.

F1 2025 marks the final season before Sauber becomes Audi, but with a team-mate for Nico Hulkenberg still needing to be found – as the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto see their name linked with the vacancy – who should Sauber/Audi ultimately decide on? Our writers have their say…

Verdict: Who Sauber/Audi should sign for F1 2025

Jamie Woodhouse: Theo Pourchaire

Going a little left-field with my pick, a driver not often involved with the Audi F1 rumour mill, but one that has been due his opportunity for years.

Pourchaire, not long ago at all, was regarded as one of the most talented, fastest-rising young talents around, a runner-up in Formula 3 and Formula 2 before taking the F2 title in 2023, yet, Sauber has never pulled the trigger on promoting the Frenchman to an F1 seat, despite being part of the academy since 2019.

Overlooked for a Sauber promotion in the last three years, now is the time to give Pourchaire his chance to shine, a driver that despite having three years of F2 experience and IndyCar races under his belt, is still only 21 years of age.

Nico Hulkenberg and Theo Pourchaire – that sounds like an exciting blend of experience and youth (also with experience) to take Sauber into their Audi F1 era.

Michelle Foster: Theo Pourchaire

I know the preeminent F1 rumour is that Valtteri Bottas has, or will, sign a one-year extension with Sauber/Audi. But can you say “ein totes Pferd peitschend”? Or should I say “fustigare un cavallo morto” for Mattia’s understanding? [Online translation use, Duolingo hasn’t got to “flogging a dead horse” in my lessons].

Bottas has had his time in Formula 1 and hasn’t done much with it when you consider the car he was driving for five years at Mercedes. Now he’s claiming he’s driving better than he did back then but two best-placed finishes of P13 don’t indicate that. And the C44’s complete lack of points says car development also isn’t his thing.

So Bottas out. Zhou, just no. Same answer for Mick. As for Gabriel Bortoleto, why give a McLaren junior the seat when you have a star – and champion – of your own waiting patiently in the wings. And waiting. And waiting.

I’m also talking Theo Pourchaire, Sauber’s junior driver since 2019, second in the 2020 Formula 3 championship and winner of the 2023 Formula 2 series who is now in his third year as a test/reserve driver for the Hinwil team. And yet cannot get a look in the door.

Still only 21, Pourchaire has been a candidate for a Sauber race seat for years but first, it was “a mistake” to promote him too early, then it was “too risky” and then he was also “really very young”. What’s today’s excuse?

He won the F2 title, showing he has pace and consistency, he scored points in his brief IndyCar stint with Arrow McLaren which proves he’s a quick study, and he’s Sauber’s junior driver which means he knows the team and how it operates.

Give him the year at Sauber, let him learn from Nico Hulkenberg, experience all the race tracks, and get up to speed in what – if it’s anything like this year – is a throw-away season for Sauber before the big F1 2026 rebranding as Audi.

Take a chance, I won’t even call it risk, he may be a Colapinto or a Lawson. Better yet he may be a Piastri. What he won’t be is worse than Bottas.

Sam Cooper: Valtteri Bottas

I’ll admit that I agree with Jamie and Michelle in that I think Theo Pourchaire would be a good choice for the seat but for whatever reason, Sauber is not keen on him.

In terms of alternatives, I think the problem for the team is the unknown promise of Audi versus the very much known awfulness of Stake. It was why Sainz said no and why getting a top-level driver for next season is difficult.

For that reason, I think they should get Bottas in for another year and then work on getting a bigger name in for the future for 2026. Bottas and Hulkenberg would be a good pairing but with a combined age of 72, some forward planning is needed.

Thomas Maher: Franco Colapinto

Who Sauber/Audi wants for F1 2025 largely comes down to what they want to achieve with their season next year. If it’s a case of treading water, waiting for Audi’s takeover while remaining near the back in order to maximise wind tunnel development time, then it doesn’t really matter who is in the car – keeping Bottas is probably the safer option than Zhou, even if there’s not much to choose between them.

But if Sauber does want to go out with a bang, then taking a risk is necessary – turn towards a rookie driver and make that leap of faith, particularly as it will allow for a proper evaluation of whether this is the right path ahead of 2026 and the full technical rules reset.

There are plenty of options here. As my colleagues have suggested, Theo Pourchaire would be a great shout and would validate the Sauber junior driver programme that he’s been part of for so long.

Gabriel Bortoleto is another option, with McLaren indicating an openness to lending him out. But, as part of McLaren’s programme, Audi couldn’t rely on him sticking around for very long if his form did prove impressive.

So, if I was Mattia Binotto, I’d be trying very hard to land Franco Colapinto. While obviously still a risk, his ability to jump into an F1 car and match Alex Albon – a highly-rated talent in his own right – despite his lack of experience and preparation… it’s been eye-opening.

The Argentinean may not represent the most important market in the world for Sauber or Audi but, if he’s a star, then does that really matter in the medium to long-term? I’d be trying very hard to get him on a 1+1 deal, giving myself the chance to cut him loose if he proved a flop over a longer period of time.

But, as it stands, Colapinto is showing he has the mettle for F1 – a Kamui Kobayashi-esque stand-out who has adjusted to F1 with aplomb despite having a quieter junior programme. Mattia, make it happen!