Audi CEO Drops Hint On Nico Hulkenberg's Teammate As Monza Meeting Is Revealed

Saajan Jogia | Sep 3, 2024

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, arrives at the track ; 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Formula One World Championship / Press Stake F1 Team

During the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Audi's new CTO and CEO, Mattia Binotto, was seen in discussions with F2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who is a contender for a 2025 Sauber/Audi seat. Binotto revealed that he is weighing his options for the upcoming season, debating whether to recruit an experienced driver like Valtteri Bottas or invest in a promising young talent like Bortoleto.

The German manufacturer aims to build a strong, long-term driver lineup as it prepares for a full takeover of the Sauber F1 team by 2026. Following recent structural changes, including the establishment of a dual management system, the team now focuses on filling the seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

While no interest has been shown toward retaining current driver Zhou Guanyu, Bottas is still in contention for the seat, and talks with Binotto are in progress. However, Audi is said to be keeping all options open, reportedly in talks with Bortoleto, who is currently placed 2nd in the F2 championship.

Bottas' chances with Audi look bleak given his last-place standing in the Drivers' Championship with zero points. While this could be partly attributed to Sauber's C44 title contender receiving no upgrades this season, his hesitation to commit to a single-year contract might further complicate his prospects.

On a Reddit thread, an image of Binotto in talks with Bortoleto has sparked fresh speculation that the young driver is being seriously considered for a future seat with Audi. In addition, his impressive drive from last to first to win the F2 feature race at Monza has significantly boosted his prospects, closing the championship gap to just 10.5 points behind rival Isack Hadjar.

While Binotto refused to take any names for the 2025 driver alongside Hulkenberg, given his recent arrival on the team, he did emphasize that several options were being weighed and a decision about the team's future driver was the team's top priority. When asked by the media in Monza, he started by jokingly saying:

“I was not expecting the question.

“It’s a couple of weeks I’m here, so it’s really for me, I’m not only for myself, because we are certainly sharing all my first impressions, and what are the next steps.

“It’s certainly something that we need to judge, are we going for experience?

“Or, as I said, it’s a project which is looking to a medium, long-term objective. What’s the best for us from now to the final goal?

“Is it more having short-term experience and then moving to something different? We need to decide. And today, I don’t think we are not in the position to answer. We are certainly listening to all potential drivers.

“We are certainly evaluating what’s the problem that comes with the best compromise. A matter of fact, at the end, it’s a choice, which you put on the balance of all the aspects. I think we will decide as soon as possible, no doubt, because we need to set up the team for next year and for the future.

“We need to, as well to stop any speculation, because it’s not in our interest. But so far, no decision as we don’t know what will be best.”