Here on this website, we like to try and talk about all the different teams and drivers, but that can be very hard when your car is considerably off the pace! However, to rectify that, we’re giving a whole damn article to Kick Sauber, not even McLaren and/or Ferrari have had that! There’s also a good reason as there is still a seat available at Sauber after Nico Hulkenberg filled the first one back in April. So, as a result of that, today’s debate is “Who Should Kick Sauber Sign to Drive Alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025?” As always with these, I will go over a bunch of names of potential candidates (or just people that came to mind) before I give my Final Verdict at the end (and you can vote on who you think if you want). So, without further ado, let’s start with the teams’ current drivers!
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is a 35-year-old Finnish racing driver who currently drives for Kick Sauber in Formula 1. Valtteri previously won both the 2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (ahead of a certain Daniel Ricciardo) and Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Championships as well as the 2011 GP3 Series! When it comes to Formula 1, Bottas is in his 12th season and he’s achieved 10 Wins, 20 Poles, and 67 Podiums! So far in 2024, Valtteri has actually been driving well, but a bit of bad luck and a terrible car sees him sit 22nd (and last) in the Championship! The thing with Valtteri Bottas is he’s an experienced driver, and I feel like he’s someone who’s gotten more praise and recognition since leaving Mercedes (there’s also a lot less pressure on him). I would also say that Valtteri needs this seat as otherwise, his F1 career may well be over!
Zhou Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu is a 25-year-old Chinese racing driver who currently drives for Kick Sauber in Formula 1. Zhou previously won the 2021 F3 Asian Championship and he’s also finished second in Italian F4 (2015) and third in FIA Formula 2 (2021). When it comes to Formula 1, Zhou has driven in 60 Races and scored 12 points! So far in 2024, it’s not been a very good year for Zhou Guanyu, but his strong P11 in Bahrain sees him 19th in the Standings (and ahead of his teammate). It’s not been a great year for Zhou Guanyu, there’s no hiding that. However, you have to remember that Zhou is a massive commercial success in China, and if Sauber are looking for money, I wouldn’t fully rule him out just yet.
Zane Maloney
Zane Maloney is a 20-year-old Barbadian racing driver who currently drives for Rodin Motorsport in FIA Formula 2 whilst also serving as the Reserve Driver for Kick Sauber in Formula 1! Zane previously won the 2019 F4 British Championship and he also finished second in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship! So far in 2024, Maloney is currently third in the Championship in his second year in Formula 2, and he’s actually only 30 points off first! The fact that Zane Maloney is already signed to Kick Sauber is important, that makes it easier for them to stick him in the car. However, for Zane to really get noticed, he will probably have to win F2 (and then hope a little).
Felipe Drugovich
Felipe Drugovich is a 24-year-old Brazilian racing driver who currently drives for Vector Sport in ELMS whilst also serving as the Test and Reserve Driver for Aston Martin in Formula 1! Felipe previously won the 2017-18 MRF Challenge 2000 Championship, the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship, and of course the 2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship! Also, Drugovich won those 3 Titles by an average points gap (to second place) of 113.66 which is absolutely extraordinary! So far in 2024, Drugovich has driven in 4 ELMS Rounds (he’s scored 1 Podium) and he’s also spent a lot of time helping Aston Martin’s F1 efforts! The thing with Felipe Drugovich is he’s so good, and he’s deserved a seat on the Grid for a while now! However, the problem for Drugo is he’s almost been overtaken by some of the other young drivers coming through, and he might well face that same problem in this scenario!
Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto is a 19-year-old Brazilian racing driver who currently drives for Invicta Racing in FIA Formula 2 whilst also being a member of the McLaren Driver Programme! Gabriel previously won the FIA Formula 3 Championship last year in his first full season under Fernando Alonso’s management! So far in 2024, Bortoleto is second in Formula 2 in his Rookie Season, and he’s only 10 and a half points off the lead with another 3 weekends to go! Gabriel Bortoleto’s rise in the junior categories has been absolutely incredible, and if he was to go on and win F2 this year, he’d join Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri as the only back-to-back F2 and F3 Champions (and we all know how brilliant those three are)! I would personally love to see Gabriel on the Grid, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily the right fit for Kick Sauber (potentially).
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo is a 35-year-old Australian racing driver who currently drives for Visa Cash APP RB in Formula 1. Daniel previously won the 2008 Formula Renault 2.0 WEC and 2009 British Formula 3 Championships, and he’s also finished third in the F1 World Championship in both 2014 and 2016! When it comes to Formula 1, Ricciardo is in his 14th season and he’s achieved 8 Wins, 3 Poles, and 32 Podiums! So far in 2024, Danny Ric is 13th in the Championship with 12 points to his name (he picked up 5 of them in the Miami Sprint). The reason I’ve included Daniel Ricciardo in this list is if he doesn’t get that Red Bull seat for next year (cause I can’t see him staying at VCARB), he’s kind of out of options, but I think Sauber should consider him, especially given they’re becoming Audi soon!
Theo Pourchaire
And last but certainly not least, Theo Pourchaire is a 21-year-old French racing driver who currently serves as a Reserve Driver for Kick Sauber in Formula 1. Theo previously won the 2019 ADAC Formula 4 Championship and he’s also currently the reigning FIA Formula 2 Champion (a series he’s also finished second in just like F3). So far in 2024, Pourchaire has driven in both IndyCar and Super Formula, and he’s also helped out Sauber in his Reserve role! I think Theo Pourchaire is terrific, he is so unbelievably rapid, and I honestly think he really deserves a spot on the Formula 1 Grid moving forward!
Final Verdict
After going over all 7 drivers, I have come to the conclusion that Kick Sauber should rehire Valtteri Bottas to partner alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2025! Valtteri is driving well, he’s experienced, he’s a 10-time Grand Prix winner, and he’s just overall very capable behind a wheel! As much as I like Daniel Ricciardo, Danny wouldn’t necessarily come in and do a better job than Bottas whilst Zhou Guanyu clearly wouldn’t because he hasn’t! As cool as it would be to see Felipe Drugovich on the Grid, I think there’s a more exciting Brazilian coming through, and that’s also why I can’t see Zane Maloney getting a chance. However, Gabriel Bortoleto isn’t the one who’s closest to getting this seat as that in my opinion is Theo Pourchaire simply because he’s been connected with Sauber for so long. However, there is one big risk with putting Theo “Polechaire” in and that is him potentially crashing due to being a Rookie. The reason I bring that up is given this team is by far the slowest on the Grid and is about to become Audi from 2026, it’s way more beneficial for them to spend money on making the car good than it is to spend on repairs. And to be fair to Kick Sauber, picking a lineup of Hulkenberg and Bottas is pretty dependable!
Which Driver do you think Kick Sauber should sign to drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025? Let me know down in the poll below (or just message me)!
Who Should Kick Sauber Sign to Drive Alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025?
Valtteri Bottas
Zhou Guanyu
Zane Maloney
Felipe Drugovich
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