Audi chief spotted in talks with new driver target that would spell end for Bottas and Zhou

Audi chief Mattia Binotto was spotted in conversation with F1 hopeful Gabriel Bortoleto at Monza amidst reports he could take the second Audi F1 seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

Audi, still running under the Sauber/Stake brand this season, have had a woeful 2024 championship with neither Valtteri Bottas nor Zhou Guanyu scoring a single point.

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Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

Stuck to the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship, six points behind Williams, the team suffered another huge blow at Monza when Bottas fell to 22nd on the Drivers’ log in a sport that only has fields 20 per drivers per weekend.

The Finn went from 21st to 22nd as Williams debutant Franco Colapinto finished 12th at the Italian Grand Prix, Bottas having already trailed Ferrari’s one-off driver Oliver Bearman in the standings.

But while it is a stat that Sauber could easily shrug off, it’s one that made the rounds on social media on Sunday evening after Monza.

Up until then it was Bottas who was said to be the favourite of the current Sauber drivers to retain his seat but now it’s being suggested the team could completely overhaul their line-up.

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McLaren junior and Formula 2 driver Bortoleto, who sits second in the F2 standings, has been linked to Sauber in recent weeks and was spotted chatting with new Audi chief Binotto on the grid at the Italian GP.

That he went from last to first to grab the F2 feature race in Monza only added to his chances as he closed the gap in the championship to just 10-and-a-half points to Isack Hadjar.

Binotto, though, is not ready to commit to his second driver for 2025 with Sauber/Audi having already signed Nico Hulkenberg.

“I was not expecting the question,” he joked to the media in Monza. “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.”

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