The 2025 Formula 1 season will see four rookies on the grid, with three making the step up from Formula 2.
Both PREMA drivers Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman will be getting their chance in the pinnacle of motorsport, with the former joining Mercedes and the latter signing for Haas.
Antonelli has only made two appearances at an F1 weekend with FP1 outings in Monza and Mexico City, as well as numerous private tests in old Mercedes machinery. Meanwhile, Bearman has already made his debut, driving with Ferrari in Jeddah and his future team Haas in Baku and Sao Paulo, scoring points in his first two races.
Former Formula 2 driver Jack Doohan will be afforded his chance in F1 as he joins Alpine for 2025 in place of Esteban Ocon – who will link up with Bearman at Haas. The Aussie has served as the French team’s reserve driver since 2023; that same year he finished third in the F2 standings with three wins and five podiums.
The fourth rookie to be confirmed for 2025 was F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto, who has signed with Sauber on a multi-year deal that will see him become an Audi works driver in 2026.
Gabriel Bortoleto discussed doing another season in Formula 2 before signing with Sauber
Bortoleto caught the attention of the F1 paddock after his impressive performances in F2. The Brazilian, who won the Formula 3 title in 2023, has won two races and grabbed five podiums so far this season as he leads Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar by just four and a half points with two rounds to go.
The 20-year-old is part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme and had been linked with Sauber for several months as they assessed who to put in their second seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
But according to a report from AMuS, Bortoleto was not solely considering his future to be in F1, as he had ‘already discussed the possibility of another Formula 2 season’ with his management.
Bortoleto, who drives with Invicta Racing, said: “The decision that I could go straight into Formula 1 was only made recently,” after Sauber were confident that the Brazilian was the right driver for them.
The issue standing in their way was Bortoleto’s contract with McLaren. But according to Sauber CTO Mattia Binotto, that did not prove much of a problem as the 20-year-old will leave the Woking-based outfit at the end of the year.
“We didn’t pay a transfer fee,” said Binotto. “Gabriel was allowed to leave the program because he gets the opportunity to drive in Formula 1 with us.”
Gabriel Bortoleto or Isack Hadjar – Who will win the F2 title?
With the rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi still to run, the fight the for the F2 title between Bortoleto and Hadjar is set to go down to the wire.
The Brazilian comes into the next round at the Losail International Circuit in great form, with one win and two podiums from his last five races. Meanwhile, his rival has hit a rough patch, with just one points finish in his last seven races.
READ MORE: Gabriel Bortoleto or Isack Hadjar – who will claim the 2024 Formula 2 championship?
Bortoleto can now rest assured knowing that his future is secure in F1, but the Invicta driver will not be looking to let up in his bid to secure his second junior title in a row.
Ben Hunt says that Bortoleto has been ‘encouraging’ in a ‘struggling’ team this season and has shown the consistency that Audi will want to see when he joins F1 next season.