There have been quite a large number of young new talents added to the grid in the past three years. Drivers who have either dominated the lower series or left serious impressions on other drivers and Team Principals alike. There have even been a lucky few who are managed by Formula 1 drivers.
Among these managers is Fernando Alonso, who signed Gabriel Bortoleto into his program to aid him in becoming Formula 1’s next big talent. The 2025 grid is full of big names already, but Alonso believes that in the coming years, one driver will conquer all if given the right opportunity.
Fernando Alonso full of praise over Gabriel Bortoleto in the first twelve races of 2025
Fernando Alonso has seen quite some battles this year on track while fighting for points in his Aston Martin. However, one of the most notable battles was in Austria. Here, he had to fend off his pupil in the final stages of the race. A sight that had everyone on the very edge of their seat. Alonso has reflected on that battle in a recent interview:
“The fight was good. A couple of corners side‑by‑side, always with respect. We’ve driven a couple of times already like that in go‑karts and in simulators when we do sessions together and things like that, so it was a replica of that. This time I crossed the line first, so that gives me some satisfaction.”
Gabriel Bortoleto in the points for the first time in F1 💪#F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/D3Wsiftbim
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2025
Of course, Bortoleto has a seat at Kick Sauber, a team that was pointless throughout the season until the penultimate race of 2024. Nevertheless, the Brazilian Rookie has managed to score points, turn heads in qualifying, and trail his very experienced teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, closely at several tracks this year.
“He’s in a team that was struggling last year, I think between him and Nico they’ve managed to bring new motivation and the team is also is improving. So far, it’s an incredible job what he’s doing… but he’s still behind me…”
At the moment, Bortoleto is still developing as a Formula 1 driver. However, there is no better place to develop your race-craft than in a competitive environment. The 2025 midfield is the perfect place to do that. Pretty soon, he might even battle with the greatest drivers at the front of the field if we are to believe Alonso’s assessment of the potential of Bortoleto’s talent.
Alonso believes Bortoleto is the best of the new generation
Looking back at the current performance compared to his feeder series seasons, Alonso is not at all surprised that Gabriel Bortoleto is feeling right at home in Formula 1. Fernando Alonso managed to sign the Brazilian youngster into his mentorship program before he even reached Formula 3 in 2023. Although when he did get there, Bortoleto did nothing but show why he deserves to be in the top leagues:
“He won Formula 3 as a rookie, he won Formula 2 as a rookie. No testing with older version of cars, no TPC [Testing with Previous Cars] programs, no nothing.”
Gabriel Bortoleto: Who Is the Youngster Joining Sauber Next Season
“Coming to Formula 1 and still delivering an incredible job… some others may have better packages and things like that, maybe some others will achieve success before he does, but eventually over the long term he will always come out as the best of this generation. The proof was when the cars were all the same in the previous categories.”
With his current performance in 2025 and Audi taking over the team in 2026, Bortoleto has a bright future ahead of him. He will definitely be one to watch as the driver market is slowly becoming active. Could we see the F1 rookie make a move to a different team, or does he stay to bring Audi to the very top?
