On Wednesday, Sauber announced that neither Valtteri Bottas nor Guanyu Zhou will be considered for a new contract. It has been known for some time that Nico Hülkenberg will be joining the team in 2025, but now we also know that Gabriel Bortoleto will be making the move to Hinwil. But who is this young Brazilian Formula 2 driver who will soon be making his debut in the premier class?
Sauber had long been uncertain about who to contract for 2025. Nico Hülkenberg was secured at the end of April; with the impending takeover by Audi, the German veteran is a valuable addition to the team. On Wednesday, it was finally announced that he will be joined by Gabriel Bortoleto, the 20-year-old Brazilian currently leading the Formula 2 championship. What can we expect from this newcomer?
Who is Gabriel Bortoleto?
Gabriel Lourenzo Bortoleto Oliveira – as he is actually named – was born in 2004 in São Paulo. At the age of six, inspired by his hero Ayrton Senna, he first got behind the wheel of a kart. Young Gabriel quickly made a name for himself on four wheels. At the age of twelve, he moved with his entire family to Europe in the hope of realizing his Formula 1 dreams. In 2020, he took his first step into open-wheel racing during his debut in the Italian Formula 4. He finished fifth in the championship but was given the opportunity to progress to FRECA.
The more powerful Formula 3 cars proved to be a challenge for the young driver. At Fernando Alonso’s FA Racing team, Gabriel Bortoleto did not progress beyond fifteenth place in the championship. In his second season, he switched to the more competitive R-ace GP. Thanks to two victories in Spa and Barcelona, he finished sixth and moved up to Formula 3 with the well-known Trident Motorsport.
In the 2023 Formula 3 season, Gabriel Bortoleto was one of the underdogs. With competitors such as Paul Aron, Zak O’Sullivan, and Franco Colapinto, the Brazilian was not exactly the favorite for the title. To everyone’s surprise, he won the opening race in Bahrain and the subsequent race in Melbourne. Throughout the rest of the season, he managed to maintain his lead in the championship, although he did not win any more races. With a Formula 3 championship under his belt, he made his debut in Formula 2 this year with Invicta.
Contract with Sauber
In the lead-up to his debut with Invicta, Gabriel Bortoleto secured a spot in McLaren’s training program. The British team prepared him for promotion to the premier class over the past year. He was once again successful in Formula 2; with two races left, he leads the championship, although the gap to Red Bull talent Isack Hadjar is only 4.5 points. His most impressive performance was the comeback race in Italy – the young Brazilian won from the twenty-second spot on the grid.
Rumors had been circulating for some time that Sauber was interested in Gabriel Bortoleto. McLaren also confirmed that it was willing to let the young talent go to a competing racing team. Over the past few months, Sauber had to weigh up between an experienced driver or a promising talent. With the takeover by Audi in mind, they chose the latter category in Hinwil. Bortoleto will make his debut in 2025 and will be the first full-time Formula 1 driver from Brazil since Felipe Massa. This places him in an illustrious list of national heroes; think of Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, and Rubens Barrichello.
