The driver market is intensifying, with drivers and teams looking to cement their line-ups for next season. Sauber are still searching for who will drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025 – especially as Sainz continues to hesitate. Several candidates are under consideration, including Theo Pourchaire.
Pourchaire has experienced an extremely turbulent eighteen months. Despite claiming the Formula 2 Championship title as part of the Sauber Academy, the Swiss outfit elected against giving Pourchaire a seat.
The 20-year-old managed to find a seat with McLaren at IndyCar, only to join the long line of drivers abruptly replaced by Zak Brown’s team.
Despite this instability in the Americas, Pourchaire remains one of the names Andreas Seidl is looking at for 2025.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber ; 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Formula One World Championship
Sauber must decide between experience and youth
As mentioned extensively in the past, Carlos Sainz was established as the favourite option for Sauber. However, with the Spaniard hesitant to make a commitment to the Hinwil project, other options are being considered.
Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas are the two more recognised names in talks with the team. With Audi set to make their debut as engine manufacturers in 2026, it is essential to have a stable driver line-up for the next two years.
Both Ocon and Bottas have plenty of experience and a proven track record in F1. Because of this, they are attractive candidates.
That said, the Audi-backed team has yet to make a decision. While both drivers are well respected, they are not without faults. Depending on their performance over the coming rounds, it is plausible that their stock in the market will decrease.
Moreover, they might agree to contracts elsewhere in the midfield. After all, Williams, Haas, and Alpine are all negotiating with a similar group of drivers.
This could see the pool of drivers at Sauber’s disposal shrink over the coming weeks. Ocon, for example, is heavily linked to a Haas move. This could see Theo Pourchaire rise on the Swiss squad’s shortlist as an increasingly viable candidate.
It would be an overstatement to suggest the Frenchman is a front-runner to join the Audi project. However, he is certainly not out of the race to join Formula 1.
