KICK Sauber brought the 2025 Formula One season to a close with a determined performance in Abu Dhabi, completing the final Grand Prix under the Sauber name with points on the board and symbolism throughout the weekend. The team arrived at Yas Marina with opportunities still in play for the Constructors’ Championship and with the added emotional weight of marking the last chapter of a legacy that stretches back more than three decades. The finale also capped a season defined by meaningful milestones, including Nico Hulkenberg’s breakthrough podium at Silverstone and Gabriel Bortoleto’s promising rookie campaign.
photos: Sauber Motorsport AG
The final race week began with reflection but also competitive intent, as the team targeted a strong finish before shifting fully into its Audi future for 2026. Friday practice delivered early encouragement: both C45s ran cleanly and consistently inside the top ten across sessions. Hulkenberg, preparing for his 250th Grand Prix start, placed fifth in both FP1 and FP2, while Bortoleto followed closely with sixth in FP2 after productive balance work on high- and low-fuel runs. The pace positioned the team well as it entered the crucial evening qualifying sessions.
Qualifying proved dramatic and ultimately bittersweet. Bortoleto delivered one of his strongest Saturdays of the year, navigating ultra-tight margins to advance through all three sessions and secure seventh on the grid. His performance reaffirmed the speed the team had shown throughout practice and set up a clear opportunity for more points. Hulkenberg’s path, however, was hindered by mistimed track positioning, traffic, and tyre preparation issues in Q1, leaving him only 18th despite the car’s underlying pace. With the fight for seventh in the Constructors’ standings still alive, both drivers entered Sunday committed to pushing from their respective ends of the grid.
The season finale brought a spirited effort from both sides of the garage. Hulkenberg staged a determined climb through the field, converting his challenging starting position into a well-earned ninth place by the chequered flag. It marked his 250th start with a top-ten finish and added further validation to the team’s late-season progress. Bortoleto, starting seventh, battled throughout the evening and narrowly missed out on the final point by just 1.5 seconds, closing out his debut year with the consistency and composure that have defined his development.
With those results, KICK Sauber concluded the campaign with 70 points in the Constructors’ Championship—an improvement of 66 points over last year and a clear indication of the team’s strengthening direction. The race also carried emotional weight as Peter Sauber, the team’s founder, watched from the garage for the last time under the name that began its Formula One journey in 1993. For the organisation, the weekend served both as a farewell and as a final affirmation of its competitive foundations before the new era begins.
As the lights went down on Yas Marina and the Sauber name bowed out of Formula One as its fourth-oldest entrant, the team departed with renewed momentum, a solid platform for the winter, and confidence in the work already underway for 2026. The final push of 2025 was not just a closing chapter, but the bridge to a future that now belongs to Audi.
TEAM QUOTES
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal
“First, I want to extend my congratulations to Lando on securing his first championship. It was an incredible showdown and a fantastic spectacle to watch from the pit wall.
“Although there is a sense of disappointment today, it comes at the end of what has been an extraordinary season. We have experienced highs and lows, and ultimately scored points well beyond our initial expectations. To finish with 70 points and only place P9 in the Constructors’ Championship is unprecedented and shows what a close season this has been.
“Today once again highlighted the unpredictability of our year. We think a car issue resulted in Gabi lacking pace and, in hindsight, an earlier swap to the two-stop strategy with Nico would have been advantageous, especially given his pace in the closing stages.
This is something we will review as we continue learning and improving.
“One consistent positive has been the performance and spirit of the pit crew, who, again, delivered solid performance in the pit lane. The progress this team has made this year is significant and provides us with real momentum heading into 2026.
“And finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Peter Sauber for his remarkable legacy and for shaping the team we are so proud to represent. As we move toward becoming the Audi Formula 1 Team in 2026, we do so with optimism, determination, and a clear sense of purpose.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Car #27
Race result: gth
Fastest lap: 1:27.050 (Lap 46)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Soft) – Lap 8 (New Medium) – Lap 43 (New Hard)
“Scoring two points, after a disappointing Saturday and coming from P18, is definitely something I am very, very pleased with. It’s not easy to move forward through the field here, especially when everyone is roughly on the same race pace. So all things considered, I’m very happy with P9 – it’s a good way to end the last race of the season. It’s also a nice way to say goodbye to Sauber – Peter has such a legacy, he’s been in the industry so long and I have big respect for what he’s achieved.
“I think it was definitely a good season — a lot of positive things happened. We developed, evolved and grew as a team, and we put in a couple of really good highlights. The podium was nice to finally tick off my shoulder; I was very happy about that. Barcelona, Budapest, Monza, Austin — many really strong weekends, and of course a few where we didn’t maximise everything, but that’s the challenge in a long season. All in all, I think we can be relatively satisfied. We’ll digest the season now, enjoy the break, and then look ahead to the new chapter that is waiting for us.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Car #5
Race result: 11th
Fastest lap: 1:29.114 (Lap 47)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium) – Lap 16 (New Hard)
“I’m not going to lie – it’s a bit disappointing to have finished just outside of the points today. Unfortunately, we struggled with bouncing from the first lap, and I don’t think we maximised our race as we should have. It’s a shame, because the car felt amazing yesterday and I really felt we could have scored some points today. Looking back at my first Formula One season, it’s been a special year for me with several good results and strong quali sessions, so there’s definitely lots to be proud of – I couldn’t have done this without the support of the team. It was a good and valuable year. The season is in the books now and I am looking forward to our future. I’m already keen to start working on next year and hopefully fight for bigger things.”
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