The F1 season will resume soon, with the American Grand Prix taking place next week. That race week, which includes one of the final three F1 sprint races on the 2024 calendar, begins a triple-header as the grid heads from Austin to Mexico City and finally Brazil.
One of the major storylines concerns one of the last seats remaining on the grid for the 2025 season. At Sauber, the team has confirmed veteran driver Nico Hulkenberg for one of the spots, but has yet to announce who his teammate will be next year.
Mattia Binotto, now the team's new chief operating officer and chief technical officer, has confirmed that Mick Schumacher is in the running for the position.
Binotto joined Audi operations this summer (Sauber plans to transition to Audi works operations from the 2026 F1 season) spoke to an Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport Ahead of next week's American Grand Prix, Schumacher confirmed that one of the options the team is considering to drive alongside Hulkenberg next year.
Asked if Schumacher was an option, Binotto said: “Absolutely, we are evaluating it.” “I met and spoke to him. I have known him for a long time as he was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I know his strengths and weaknesses and he is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. is one of the names I have in mind.”
Binotto also outlined the qualities the team is looking for in filling the second seat, saying Schumacher could offer the team the “best of both worlds” given what they are looking for. said.
“All the other teams have decided on their lineups, so we have the luxury of not having to rush,” Binotto added. “There are two important aspects: on the one hand, experience to define the path for development, and on the other hand, young and talented drivers who will accompany us on the path to the top.”
Given the experience Hulkenberg brings, the team may not be as focused on finding a veteran driver alongside Hulkenberg for next season. Valtteri Bottas, who currently drives for Sauber, remains a candidate, but he may not meet the second characteristic the team is looking for.
Other drivers who have been floated as options for Sauber may not meet its experience requirements. Drivers such as Franco Colapinto (who has been at Williams since replacing Logan Sargent mid-season) and Gabriel Bortleto, who currently tops the F2 championship standings, do not meet that experience requirement. There is a possibility. The race weekend remained.
Schumacher has spent two seasons as a full-time driver on the F1 grid with Haas and fulfills the experience factor, while also ticking the youth box given he won't turn 26 until March next year.
If so, he could be a selection that checks both boxes for the team.
