Half of the drivers on the grid are either rookies or changed teams over the course of the winter, creating plenty of exciting storylines ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
However, while many fans are interested to see how Lewis Hamilton fares at Ferrari, or whether Andrea Kimi Antonelli can cope with the pressure of replacing the seven-time world champion, it’s fair to say that Sauber is quite far down the priority list for many people.
There are, however, two countries that are keen to see how the outfit that are soon-to-be-known as Audi get on in 2025: Germany and Brazil.
That’s because their only representatives in F1 – Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto – have joined the team from Haas and McLaren respectively.
Fernando Alonso has raved about Bortoleto ahead of his Formula 1 debut having won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships in back-to-back years.
Meanwhile, Hulkenberg is leaving a Haas team that surprised everyone last year in the hopes that Sauber realise their potential once Audi complete their takeover next season.
A new set of regulations is on the horizon, having an experienced driver like Hulkenberg is going to help the team adjust, and he’s entering 2025 after perfectly highlighting why Haas decided to hand him a permanent race seat after a three-year hiatus where he didn’t have a full-time race seat.
Nico Hulkenberg aims to make ‘fewer mistakes’ after switching Haas for Sauber
Hulkenberg was speaking to Speedweek during the winter break and looking forward to returning to the team that he worked alongside for a season in 2013.
Talking about 2025, Hulkenberg said: “I want to make fewer mistakes. But the midfield is highly competitive and because everyone is so close to each other in terms of performance, it’s a fine line. Sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone.
“You have to take risks and it can easily happen that you make a mistake. And with these cars, mistakes often result in a big crash.”
READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height
When asked about his final year with Haas, Hulkenberg admitted: “I’m very proud of the season and what we’ve achieved, and I’m also very happy with the way we’ve picked ourselves up after the previous season.
“Everyone in the team put in some really strong performances.”
Sauber have upgraded both of their drivers for the 2025 season with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto
Mattia Binotto was brought in halfway through the 2024 campaign by Audi to lead the team after the departure of Andreas Seidl and deciding this year’s driver line-up was one of his main priorities.
He took his time to evaluate whether to continue with Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu knowing that Hulkenberg had already been signed before he arrived.
Binotto changed his mind on retaining Bottas, instead opting for Bortoleto when it became clear that McLaren would be willing to let him move on.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Sauber from team principal to 2026 Audi future
Having two experienced drivers in their cars might not have been a bad thing this year and would have helped give them ample direction with their development heading into 2026.
However, Bortoleto’s junior record suggests that he’s the sort of driver you don’t pass up if he’s available.
The Brazilian’s achievements up to this point closely resemble how Hulkenberg reached F1 and that will give their fans plenty of encouragement that he can make the step up despite being just 20 years old.
