McLaren won’t restrict Bortoleto – Stella

The driver market ’silly season’ in Formula 1 is exploding once again.

The only real vacancy for 2025 is at Audi-Sauber, and incumbent Valtteri Bottas no longer sounds confident he will be retained.

"There’s always a lot of politics in the background in this sport," the Finn said at Interlagos.

"We are talking about a big corporate company, a big business," Bottas added, referring to the newly Audi-owned Swiss team. "There are many reasons for decisions."

It appears that McLaren has agreed to fully release its academy junior Gabriel Bortoleto, 20. "Apparently the contract is already signed and the announcement is imminent," claimed Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt.

The only missing detail is whether Bottas might be retained for one more season, allowing Bortoleto to integrate into the team ahead of the full debut of the works Audi F1 entry from 2026.

"In terms of McLaren, we will not stop the possibility for Gabriel to drive in Formula 1," McLaren boss Andrea Stella said at Interlagos.

"So conversations are ongoing and we will see what the scenario will be for the future."

Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen thinks Bortoleto should race straight away in 2025.

"I mean, if I was Sauber, I would have signed him already," he said in Brazil.

"And ’26, big rule change. It’s always good to get used to a team for a year, make your mistakes here and there, get integrated well, understand the car a bit. Feel much more prepared and comfortable and then start in ’26."

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also commented when asked about Bortoleto: "From my point of view, when you’re achieving those kinds of results, you deserve to be in F1.

"I have the personal experience of the pain of not getting a seat, so for his sake, I hope he doesn’t have to go through that."