The Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto (20 years old) has just been recruited by Sauber, who chose to bet on his potential rather than the experience of Valtteri Bottas. Here’s an overview of his young career before making the big leap to Formula 1, in a struggling team.
Could he soon be on par with Leclerc, Russell, and Piastri?
In the midst of restructuring, both in terms of its drivers and its leaders, Sauber is significantly lagging behind its competitors (0 points scored this season). On the path to its transformation into an Audi team from 2026, the team needs drivers who can quickly make a difference. Fortunately, Gabriel Bortoleto has demonstrated real adaptability since his arrival in the FIA Championship.
In his first F3 season in 2023 with Trident, the Brazilian won two races and showed such consistency (10 podiums in 18 races) that he finished as champion. This was enough to convince McLaren, who opened the door to their training program for him. Promoted to F2 in 2024, Bortoleto currently leads the standings with the Invicta Racing team. Although he had some reliability issues early in the year, he found a cruising rhythm that allowed him to count two victories and five podiums in total.
Sauber Parts Ways with Bottas and Recruits Bortoleto
With two more Grand Prix on the schedule (Qatar and Abu Dhabi), he holds a 4.5 point lead over Frenchman Isack Hadjar in the Championship. If he manages to maintain it, he will join the circle of drivers who have consecutively won a title in F3 and then in F2, like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri.
Released for Free by McLaren
Launched in April 2023, McLaren’s junior program quickly attracted Bortoleto. The Brazilian became a member of the program six months later, guided by former driver Emanuele Pirro. But despite the British team’s belief in him, they had no F1 seat to promise him in the medium term. Among the top drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri provide guarantees. They are competitive in races, even contending for the title, and are contractually committed for several more seasons.
Should a promising driver be held back when everyone knows they’re at a dead end? McLaren chose not to engage in a tug-of-war, in line with the intentions expressed by Andrea Stella, the team principal, who stated in Brazil: “McLaren will not hinder the opportunity for Gabriel to race in Formula 1.” At that time, Sauber’s interest in Bortoleto was no longer a secret, and Max Verstappen himself had slipped this advice in a press conference: “If I were Sauber, I would have already signed him.” It’s done, and McLaren asked for no compensation. “We did not pay,” affirmed Mattia Binotto, Sauber’s director of operations. “Gabriel was free to leave because he had an opportunity.“
Alonso as an Adversary and Manager
At Sauber, Bortoleto (20 years old) will team up with Nico Hülkenberg (37 years old). On the track, the age difference will be even more significant with Fernando Alonso (44 years old), the Aston Martin driver, who will be an adversary unlike any other. Among his other roles, the Spaniard is the boss of the management agency A14, which he co-founded in 2022. The Brazilian is part of this structure.
Gabriel Bertoleto on Fernando Alonso
“He had started F1 even before I was born“
Bortoleto will, in a way, be racing against his second boss. And he finds the idea very amusing. “We often joke about it because he had started Formula 1 even before I was born,” the young driver recounted this week during a video conference in which L’Équipe participated. “And now I’m going to race with him.” After his signing, the Brazilian highlighted Alonso’s role in his progress: “He has helped me a lot, taught me many things, and encouraged me.” Did the Spaniard with 401 Grand Prix go as far as to influence Sauber in their decision to let Valtteri Bottas go in favor of the South American prospect? “We met in the paddock but he never tried to come to me with arguments intended to convince me,” clarified Binotto. “What convinced me was Gabriel and nothing else.“
