Very few seats are available ahead of the Formula 1 season in 2025 despite a chaotic silly season over the year.
There are multiple drivers from Formula 2 graduating from the championship and moving into Formula 1 for next season.
Both PREMA drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman will make their full-time debuts as F1 drivers with Mercedes and Haas.
Gabriel Bortoleto has been very impressive this season and leads the championship ahead of Isack Hadjar with two rounds to go.
The Brazilian driver doesn’t have a confirmed seat for next year, but the McLaren junior may have an opportunity to race with Sauber.
Despite being a candidate for Sauber, former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya doubted whether Bortoleto will be on the grid in 2025 when speaking to AS Colombia.
Juan Pablo Montoya feels Sauber ‘doesn’t need a young driver’ in Formula 1
Sauber have struggled throughout the 2024 season and still haven’t scored a point, spending much of their time rooted to the back of the field.
The Swiss team will transform into Audi for 2026 as the German manufacturer will become a works team in Formula 1 for the first time.
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Audi have already signed German driver Nico Hulkenberg to lead the team into the new era and Montoya isn’t convinced that they will want an inexperienced driver alongside him.
He said: “At this moment, unfortunately, Audi doesn’t need a young driver. It does not need a driver who is neither young nor fast.
“It needs consistency and they need someone to help them develop the car unless they have the mentality that we already want to grow with the young driver and be comfortable with making mistakes.
“Audi has many new things, and they are going to be completely restructuring, so the question is, do they want someone young now or in five years? it’s complicated.”
Gabriel Bortoleto has a lot of competition for the seat at Sauber in Formula 1
Bortoleto is a candidate to race for Sauber next season but is battling Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, who could stay, although he’s expressed an interest in IndyCar.
Franco Colapinto is also a candidate, and he has been very impressive for Williams in Formula 1 since replacing Logan Sargeant at the Italian Grand Prix.
Bortoleto is also a McLaren junior, and the team may be unwilling to let one of their young drivers join another team in F1.
The Brazilian driver is younger than Colapinto and has been more successful in Formula 2, which could make him an option for Audi.