Gabriel Bortoleto arrived in Abu Dhabi heading the Formula 2 championship. Isack Hadjar was just half a point behind, while Paul Aron had an outside chance. After the sprint race, Bortoleto pulled out a slight advantage. The feature race saw the battle between the top two last only a couple of meters as Hadjar stalled off the grid, leading to the end of the fight.
Bortoleto already has a Formula 1 drive for next season. The Brazilian will drive for Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg as he makes his debut in the sport. But how will the newly crowned F2 champion fair at the pinnacle of motorsport?
Can Gabriel Bortoleto adapt to driving in F1?
Bortoleto arrived in F3 in 2023. In his rookie season, he stormed to victory by 45 points. The 20-year-old earned himself an upgrade in F2, where he won the championship in his debut year. This shows that the Brazilian can adapt to new and upgraded machinery. After a few races, Bortoleto hopes to be at the pace of his experienced teammate.
Bortoleto also comes into F1 with compliments from world champions. Before Bortoleto’s signing was announced, Max Verstappen had claimed he “would have already signed him.” The backing of such a big name shows that Bortoleto certainly has talent.
GABRIEL BORTOLETO IS YOUR 2024 F2 CHAMPION!
The 20-year-old Brazilian has cemented his name into the history books by winning F3 and F2 back-to-back! George Russell and Oscar Piastri have previously achieved this.
Bortoleto will race for Sauber in F1 in 2025.#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/d12OyEvFx1
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) December 8, 2024
The Brazilian is also part of Fernando Alonso’s management company. The two-time world champion was complimentary of his client, saying: “He’s an incredible talent and a very humble person as well.“
Bortoleto comes into F1 with a great reputation after winning two championships on the bounce. The 20-year-old also has a reputation for giving great technical feedback while having the skill to make key overtakes without taking too many risks. If the youngster can continue to improve, he is an exciting prospect.
What are the other championship protagonist’s chances of making it to F1?
It was announced in November that Paul Aron would join Alpine as a reserve driver. This gives the youngster the chance to test F1 machinery. The Estonian knows Oliver Oakes, Alpine’s new team principal. If Jack Doohan is not performing, he might hope to be given a chance.
Isack Hadjar’s future is more complicated. It all depends on what happens with Sergio Perez. Red Bull is rumoured to replace the Mexican in the next season. It would be expected that one of the Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson, would jump into Red Bull’s second seat.
LIGHTS OUT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDER!!!⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️
DRAMA AT THE START! 😱😱😱
Gabriel Bortoleto takes the race lead into the first turn!
But disaster for Isack Hadjar as he stalls and doesn’t get away!#F2 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/pMhsa6Bwbu
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) December 8, 2024
That would leave a vacant seat for Hadjar at VCARB. The Frenchman has shown a turn of speed this season. He has a raw pace but needs time to learn and develop and Racing Bulls would be a great team to learn at. Perez is the cork in the bottle. If he leaves, Hadjar will probably get his chance.
