Joining a new Formula 1 team is an exciting step for any driver but until the cars take the track, there’s no way of telling whether that leap of faith was the right decision.
Unless you’re Carlos Sainz preparing for life at Williams, every other driver is arriving at a new team that could offer them a faster car than last year.
The focus this winter is almost exclusively on what Lewis Hamilton is doing ahead of his debut with Ferrari.
Hamilton’s first day at Ferrari went to plan, but all eyes are on his first test at Fiorano on Wednesday as long as the weather is good enough.
However, up and down the paddock there are plenty of other drivers getting used to their new surroundings.
Sauber and Haas are the only two teams who have brought in a pair of new drivers this year.
Esteban Ocon was very impressed during his first Haas test, while Sauber are helping Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto get up to speed in Switzerland.
According to journalist Edd Straw on The Race F1 Podcast about last season’s bottom team in the Constructors’ Championship and their preparations.
Straw has said that Hulkenberg is already trying to make changes within the team after their poor showing in 2024.
Nico Hulkenberg has ‘already started’ demanding changes at Sauber for the 2025 F1 season
Talking about Sauber’s new pairing, Straw said: “Hulkenberg, I think, will be quite a good teammate for him [Bortoleto] in so far as he’s also someone who’s very good but beatable.
“But also Hülkenberg comes in with experience and a fresh perspective.
“And he’s already started doing this in a test, it’s like, why are we doing it this way? We’ve got to do it that way.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height
“Haas were very, very race performance focused last year, very, very focused in terms of what they needed to do to get the most out of the machinery.
“If Hulkenberg can bring a little bit of that to the team, he might be pushing against the tide a little bit but that should help the environment he’s in.
“Good ride sensitivity as well from Hulkenberg in terms of how low you can run the cars to get the downforce without causing problems for the tyres, etc.
“So I think he’s got quite a handy teammate there. But it’s, yeah, it’s going to be quite a tough ask for Bortoleto.”
Sauber’s intra-team battle between Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto could be brilliant
Every intra-team battle during the 2025 F1 season is going to be fascinating but if Sauber are as poor as they were last season, then Hulkenberg and Bortoleto will only have each other to fight against.
The £4m-a-year German driver is very experienced but will want to eventually achieve his first podium finish to avoid retiring with that specific record.
He may have to wait until Audi complete their takeover in 2026 for that to happen unless something remarkable happens during the winter.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Sauber from team principal to 2026 Audi future
Bortoleto is not a driver that Hulkenberg can afford to ignore this year.
The Formula 2 champion may be unprepared compared to some of the other rookies on the grid but he’s undoubtedly very fast.
Fernando Alonso backs Bortoleto to thrive and if Hulkenberg’s experience can help Sauber develop a better car than last year, then the team might not be doomed just yet.
