McLaren Clears Path for Bortoleto’s F1 Debut in 2025
Sep.11 - McLaren has reportedly cleared the path for Gabriel Bortoleto to make his Formula 1 race debut in 2025.
Audi officials specifically named the 19-year-old Formula 1 frontrunner as featuring prominently on their short-list to join Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber next year.
However, the young Brazilian joined McLaren's driver development program just at the end of last year - meaning an Audi deal would have to be struck with the agreement of the Woking based team.
According to authoritative Brazilian source Grande Premio, McLaren has now told Bortoleto's management and Audi that they would conditionally agree to release him on loan.
"The agreement provides for a loan for at least two years and aims to prepare him for a return (to McLaren) at an opportune time," the report explained.
Grande Premio believes Audi would prefer to sign Bortoleto over incumbent Valtteri Bottas next year, as the team needs to save money once Guanyu Zhou's millions in Chinese backing disappears.
Another reported contender for the second Audi-Sauber seat is Mick Schumacher. However, multiple teams have turned down the opportunity to sign Michael Schumacher's son for a return to the F1 grid.
German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck blames former Haas boss Gunther Steiner for Schumacher's shattered reputation.
"He kept criticising him for mistakes that were completely normal," Stuck told Eurosport. "He (Steiner) has that on his conscience."
Stuck, 73, admits that Audi could be Schumacher's last-ever shot at returning to the grid.
"Mick is not getting any younger," he said. "But in my view, Mick has every right to get a place again."
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To return to McLaren "at an opportune time,"
How would you define an opportune time in a contract? Opportune for whom? McLaren, Audi (if Bortoleto fails and they want to replace him) or Bortoleto. Shrouded in smoke and mirrors!
I can understand Stuck's frustration at having no young up and coming German drivers likely to be in F1 in the short to medium term. But as far as Mick Schumacher is concerned, sometimes the truth hurts!
Bortoleto could realistically only race in Team Hinwil as a free agent (like would be the case with Lawson), given Sauber is a fully manufacturer-owned independent team & doesn't even share a PU supplier.
After all, McLaren wouldn't take any driver associated with a rival manufacturer unless all contractual connections were ended.
Pourchaire would still be an easy choice (& likewise, Maloney), though, because while he doesn't have any association with Audi, he's associated with Sauber, not to mention receiving a full-time chance would be fair as he already got overlooked before.
Lastly, Binotto may have named Bortoleto in Monza, but he also named Pourchaire & didn't specifically name a favorite.
I forgot to add that McLaren doesn't even have any use for him anyway since they have zero intentions of changing drivers in the long term.
given Sauber is a fully manufacturer-owned independent team you cant be both...!
Renault took Ocon and he was managed by Merc managed/under contract and he was loaned out elsewhere. isnt that the same
Once again, he went to Team Enstone solely contracted to that team & being managed by a single individual is different from being literally involved with a particular team, just like with Bottas both pre-2017 & again from last year, & drivers who were managed by Briatore, but didn't drive for Team Enstone at all or at some point in time, e.g., Alonso in 2017 & Kovalainen in 2008-2009.
The part about him being not being on loan was already made around the 2019 Belgian GP when the announcement about the 2020 move came & yet you still bother to contradict & believe otherwise despite those words not even coming from a third-party.
The only time someone was driving at Team Enstone on loan was when Sainz drove for them in 2018 & even that was a one-off thing, not to mention Red Bull used Renault power at the time.
Over & over again the same matter, because you're hell-bent to start a pointless argument for the sake of it.
& the same concerning Albon in 2022, for that matter, I forgot to add.
Finally, I may have been a bit critical towards the end, but that was simply about getting annoyed by the same argument over & over again.
However, I couldn't be less bothered to pointlessly argue yet again, as I got bored already earlier this year, so let's just stop here instead of continuing yet again.
Dont wet yourself over a differing opinion, your confusing bored with wrong, Jeez your excitable and defensive if its possible to be both lol, oh and the other point -- very selective in your replies, calm down and enjoy other peoples point of view,-its called maturity
Suit yourself