Only four seats remain to complete the 2025 grid and Mick Schumacher is hoping to fill one of them. He was a part of Alpine’s Endurance Racing program, but its F1 division is reportedly heading in another direction, which will be a major let-down for Schumacher.
Alpine conducted a test session with Jack Doohan and Schumacher in their 2022-spec car in Le Castellet. Doohan first drove, followed by Schumacher and while it remains unknown how the tests went, Team Principal Bruno Famin revealed that both drivers were almost equally good.
However, as per reports, Doohan was slightly better.
BREAKING: Jack Doohan to join Alpine for the 2025 season.
Per @wbuxtonofficial pic.twitter.com/pHVkDDKmTX
— Beetle Juice (@Crazy2365) August 2, 2024
Multiple sources including Sports1 now state that Doohan will sign for Alpine next year, which closes one door for Schumacher’s potential F1 return. He is a junior driver for Mercedes, but won’t get into its F1 team. V-CARB too, will go ahead with its current lineup.
However, not all hope is lost for Schumacher. Sauber still has a spot remaining, with only one of its drivers (Nico Hulkenberg) being confirmed. Mattia Binotto returned to F1 and will be Audi’s boss when it takes over Sauber in 2026.
Binotto could rely on the former Ferrari junior driver’s services. But the latter has to work on it quickly because there is another youngster lined up to fill the Audi cockpit.
Audi eyeing the services of a 19-year-old rookie
Sauber’s current drivers – Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou – don’t have a contract post 2024. Only one of them can remain following Hulkenberg’s arrival, and while neither has been discarded for the other seat, Binotto reportedly doesn’t want either. He has his eyes on Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
BOMBA! Segundo o site italiano https://t.co/VdrPzQPGBt, Gabriel Bortoleto está sendo cotado na Sauber/Audi para 2025.
As performances do brasileiro na F2 impressionaram Mattia Binotto, e ele está na lista de candidatos para a próxima temporada.#F1 #GabrielBortoleto pic.twitter.com/fUDv4w5UUB
— Central F1 (@CentralF1BR) August 2, 2024
The 19-year-old F2 rookie has been impressive in the Championship and is currently P2 in the Standings. A plus for Sauber is that Bortoleto remains under the radar despite his promise, and they want to sign him up quickly for the same reason.
Bortoleto too, would not say no to an F1 opportunity, even if it is with a weaker team like Audi. As a rookie F2 driver, all he wants is a seat in the pinnacle of motorsports. Bortoleto’s Brazilian roots could also prove to be of commercial value for Audi and F1 as a whole.
