Audi F1 driver options shrink as contender makes 2025 announcement

Audi will officially arrive in F1 in 2026 after taking over the existing Sauber team

Valtteri Bottas has been boosted in his quest for an Audi F1 seat after Sauber junior Zane Maloney secured a move to Formula E.

Sauber already has Nico Hulkenberg signed for F1 2025 and beyond into the Audi F1 era, as the German brand prepares to purchase the Swiss outfit in time for their entry as a factory team in F1 2026, when the new chassis and power unit regulations come into effect. The question is, who will Hulkenberg’s team-mate be?

Zane Maloney heads to FE in Valtteri Bottas Audi boost

Sauber is yet to make that announcement, with current drivers Bottas and Zhou Guanyu fighting for the final seat, while options like Theo Pourchaire and Maloney from their academy, as well as McLaren’s F2 Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto, have also appeared on the radar.

But one of those options has dropped out, with Maloney – who currently serves as Sauber’s reserve driver and is battling for the F2 title – having secured a move to Formula E where he will join Lola Yamaha ABT, partnering former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi.

Maloney has also served as the Andretti FE team’s reserve driver for the 2023-24 campaign and has taken part in various free practice sessions and rookie tests.

“I am delighted to be part of the Lola Yamaha ABT team and looking forward to this exciting challenge,” said Maloney.

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“Although I already know the championship well, this is a completely new chapter for me, so working with such an experienced team, and alongside such a successful driver, is the perfect next step.

“I’ve followed and admired Lucas’s battles over the past seasons, including when he became champion. I’m sure that I will learn a lot from him and together we will push both ourselves and the development of the car forward.”

Swiss publication Blick has recently reported that Bottas will remain with Sauber for F1 2025, with Audi wanting a young driver brought in to be prepared for their F1 2026 debut, the most likely candidate being Bortoleto.

Sauber are the only team yet to put a point on the board in F1 2024, their best result of P11 scored by Zhou at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

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