2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Sunday
KICK Sauber F1 Team brought the season to an end with a points finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the curtain fell on 2025. Nico Hulkenberg, on his 250th F1 start, completed an impressive comeback from P18 on the grid to ninth at the chequered flag, the 14th top ten finish for the team in the 24 races contested this season. Team-mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, missed out on the final points position by just 1.5s, and was classified 11th.
The team’s tally in the Constructors’ Championship rises to 70 – a result worth ninth place in the standings and a 66-points improvement from last year`s season. It’s a tally that reflects on the team’s positive trend over the last year, of the incessant work taking place both back at base and trackside, filling everyone with confidence as we enter the off-season. It’s also a result that honours the history and legacy of Sauber, a legendary name that bows out of Formula One as the fourth-oldest team. With team founder, Peter Sauber, in the garage with his family for the final race in green, the team gave everything, battling on and off track to make sure the season ended in a positive way.
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 number 27):
Race result: 9th
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 number 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.”
