8 drivers who could get the final 2025 F1 seat

Franco Colapinto

There’s been a whole lot of noise surrounding Franco Colapinto since he made his F1 debut for Williams as the replacement for Logan Sargeant. His performances have already yielded more points in two races than his predecessor managed in 35, and Williams has seen enough to want him on the grid in 2025.

It’s unfortunate timing for Colapinto, as his team had already confirmed months before his debut that Carlos Sainz Jr. will be joining in 2025, so the young Argentine’s place on the grid was only ever going to be temporary. He’s wasted no time in proving his worth, though, and now he is reportedly in talks with Audi over that all-important second seat.

Valtteri Bottas

By all accounts, this is the safest bet for Audi should the team decide on a more conservative approach. Valtteri Bottas has enjoyed a long and successful career in F1, and is certainly far closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but with proven speed and a reliable pair of hands his retention might be the best option for a team that could really do with an upturn in form.

Bottas has had to deal with a poor car in 2024, and he currently sits bottom of the drivers’ standings with zero points after a generally uninspiring campaign to date. Whether he’ll have the motivation to continue at the back of the field remains to be seen, equally whether Audi would rather look to the future and nurture some fresh talent ahead of its big arrival in 2026.

Théo Pourchaire

You would have thought that, as the current reserve driver for Sauber and a member of the team’s junior programme since 2019, Théo Pourchaire would be among the favourites for a race drive in 2025 should one be available. It would seem however that he is set to miss out, though, after a year on the sidelines and a patchy cameo in IndyCar.

The 21-year-old Frenchman’s career has never quite caught light in the way we thought it might. His eventual Formula 2 title was preceded by two seasons of inconsistency in the series, although he did beat both Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan, who will both line up on the F1 grid next year with Haas and Alpine respectively. It would, however, be a shame for Pourchaire to miss out on this opportunity, because it feels like it will be his last to make it to the pinnacle of motorsport.

Mick Schumacher

It still sounds as though Mick Schumacher hasn’t given up on continuing his F1 dream just yet. Despite having a works drive with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship, rumours swirl that the young German, and son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, is continuing to sound out the possibility of rejoining the F1 grid with Sauber.

His tenure at Haas ended with something of a whimper after a series of expensive accidents left the team looking elsewhere. Schumacher was eventually replaced by Nico Hülkenberg, who would become his team-mate at Sauber. His nationality could play into his favour with Audi, which might find interest in running two German drivers, but Schumacher remains an outside bet.

Gabriel Bortoleto

The current leader in the F2 standings will always be in the conversation for a move to F1, and Gabriel Bortoletois timing his championship charge just right to coincide with the showdown for the final seat on the grid. His performance in the Monza feature race to win from the back of the grid showcased his immense talent on a given day, but his consistency has also been commendable with a tremendous run of 16 points finishes from the past 18 races.

A member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, Bortoleto leads Isak Hadjar by three-and-a-half points with two rounds to go, and must be holding conversations with Sauber about the possibility of graduating to the top tier. With three F2 drivers already confirmed to be joining the F1 grid in 2025, for the series champion to miss out would be a strange injustice.

Isack Hadjar

The other man in with a realistic chance of taking the F2 title in 2024, Isack Hadjar has been a member of the Red Bull junior team since 2022, and has made swift progress through the junior formulae. He is the current Test Driver for Red Bull and is well thought of by Christian Horner, but the Red Bull team is continuing to struggle to make space for its stable of young drivers, despite finally giving Liam Lawson the nod in place of Daniel Ricciardo.

Hadjar may well find his route into F1 with Red Bull blocked for at least the next 18 months, so would he be tempted by a move to Sauber should the opportunity arise? Difficult to say, but he’s no doubt a driver who would deserve the chance if he were to be offered it.

Kevin Magnussen

At this point, it’s impossible to count out the possibility that Kevin Magnussen will find his way back onto the F1 grid again in 2025. He’s already made one triumphant return with Haas, but he’s about to find himself without a drive once again after being replaced by Oliver Bearman.

He and Hülkenberg were a source of stability for Haas, but Magnussen has been comfortably outscored by his team-mate this year, and would be a pretty uninspired choice if he were to find his way into a Sauber car in 2025.

Zhou Guanyu

Unfortunately this one seems unlikely, which is a shame because we’ve enjoyed having Zhou Guanyu in F1. He’s made less of an impact than he or his team would have liked however, despite being regularly on the pace of his more experienced and race-winning team-mate.

His name has not been mentioned a great deal in connection with his own seat, with Bottas seemingly the more likely of the two to be retained for the next season at least. Quite where Zhou will go next should he lose his space on the grid, we’re not sure, but while he’s in the car he has a chance of proving he deserves to stay there.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.