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Valtteri Bottas won't be on the 2025 Formula 1 grid with McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto replacing him at Sauber.
Sauber confirmed the exits of Bottas and team-mate Zhou Guanyu ahead of confirmation later that Formula 2 points leader Bortoleto will take their place alongside Nico Hulkenberg next year.
Sauber and Bottas had agreed on the terms of a deal and Bottas has been ready to sign for months. But new team boss Mattia Binotto didn't give him a 2025 contract as the soon-to-be-Audi works F1 team weighed whether to gamble on youth rather than experience.
In the end Sauber has gone for 20-year-old Bortoleto, who will be released by McLaren.
With both of its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri signed up to long-term deals with the team, McLaren said it wouldn't stand-in the way of its current junior driver Bortoleto making his F1 debut elsewhere.
He's been released from McLaren's junior programme which he joined when he won the 2023 Formula 3 title.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Gabriel over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren driver development programme," a McLaren statement said.
"We have a strong driver line-up in Lando and Oscar, and therefore we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress whilst we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren."
Sauber sees Bortoleto as capable of doing what the likes of Bortoleto's F2 rivals Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto have done this year.
"Led by Mattia, Audi's Formula 1 project is making great progress in many areas. The signing of the second driver is another milestone," chairman of the board of Sauber Motorsport Gernot Dollner said.
“We are currently witnessing a generational shift in Formula 1, with young drivers immediately making an impact. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we have secured one of these top talents.
"His signing underscores Audi's long-term strategy and commitment to Formula 1.”
Binotto believes Bortoleto has what it takes to be a winning driver in F1 while Bortoleto said he was "incredibly grateful" to join "one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports".
It leaves 10-time race winner Bottas off the grid for the first time since he made his F1 debut with Williams in 2013.
"A situation like this is never easy for anyone," Bottas said.
"But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met.
"These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments.
"I’m grateful for the joint experiences as well as the trust and support I’ve felt every step of the way.
"Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.”
Bottas has held talks with Mercedes about returning to the team he drove for five seasons as a reserve driver. The 35-year-old has consistently made it clear that he's not ready to give up on F1 even if Sauber didn't pick him for 2025.
Zhou was never in serious contention to retain his seat, but there's now official confirmation that he'll be out of the team after three seasons.
"I am grateful to the team for giving me a chance in Formula 1. This is not an easy sport for rookies, but the team has allowed me to grow so much over these three years," Zhou said.
