Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto has been signed to drive for the Audi-owned Sauber team next year.
The 20-year-old, who is leading this year’s Formula 2 championship, will partner German veteran Nico Hulkenberg.
The decision means that Sauber’s current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, will not be in F1 next season.
Sauber chief operating and technical officer Mattia Binotto said it had been a “straightforward decision with no doubts at all”.
The team chose to give Bortoleto his F1 debut because they had been “impressed by his career so far,” Binotto said.
Bortoleto, who was champion in Formula 3 in his debut season in 2023 before moving into F2 this year, had “already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver,” Binotto said.
Bortoleto is managed by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and has been a part of the McLaren driver development programme.
McLaren said in a statement that they would release him at the end of the 2024 season.
“We have a strong driver line-up in Lando (Norris) and Oscar (Piastri) and we have always been clear that we would not stand in the way of an opportunity for Gabriel to progress while we are not in the position to offer him a seat with McLaren,” the statement said.
Binotto said: “I have been asking to some drivers who have been driving with you and everyone was very impressed. But also because he is very young.
“For our journey for the Audi F1 team, growing together with a young driver was very important.
“When we met I was immediately impressed by the attitude. So not only as a driver we decided, but as a person. He can really be a leader for the team.”
Bortoleto said: “This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports.
“Beyond simply being a member, I aim to grow with this ambitious project and reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Mattia was super confident about the Audi project and how I could develop as a driver as well.
“I see a lot myself in this project. I needed to convince him much more than he needed to convince me, but I identified a lot (with it).”
