The Kick Sauber has finally revealed their line-up for the 2025 season. Nico Hulkenberg was announced to have joined the team from Haas in April, the other seat has now been given to Gabriel Bortoleto.
Sauber kicked out Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas. They turned to youngster Gabriel Bortoleto, who they hope will stay in the team to push them forward. But who is Bortoleto?
What is Gabriel Bortoleto’s nationality?
Bortoleto is Brazilian and comes from Sao Paulo, home of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The 20-year-old began karting in Brazil in 2012 before leaving to kart in Europe in 2016. Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle commented that having a Brazilian driver next season makes the grid “more complete.”
Has Gabriel Bortoleto won a championship in open-wheel racing?
Having driven in lower formulas, 2023 was Bortoleto’s breakthrough season. Between 2020 and 2022, the youngster competed in five different categories, winning five races. In 2023, he joined the Trident team in the FIA F3 Championship. In his rookie season, he won the championship. He dominated his rivals to beat second-placed Zak O’Sullivan by 45 points.
GABRIEL BORTOLETO. F3 CHAMPION. 🇧🇷#ItalianGP #F3 pic.twitter.com/SlWn8cgWFB
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) September 1, 2023
Despite only winning two out of the nine feature races, he was a constant finisher in the top five. This meant Bortoleto made the jump into F2, a championship he is leading with just two rounds remaining.
Is Fernando Alonso Gabriel Bortoleto’s manager?
The young Brazilian signed for Fernando Alonso’s driver management company A41. The two-time world champion had much praise for his protege, saying: “He’s an incredible talent and a very humble person as well.
Bortoleto 🤝 Hulkenberg
Kick Sauber have confirmed F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto as second driver for 2025 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/r1pTZOsErN
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 6, 2024
“He’s a hard worker, apart from his talent, and I think that’s why in Formula 3 and Formula 2 he had this much progress. I think also he’s someone that is taking things very seriously as well, which at that age is never a guarantee.”
These are great comments from someone of Alonso’s calibre in F1. Bortoleto is the first of Alonso’s proteges to reach F1. The Spaniard will help the youngster by giving technical advice but also mentor Bortoleto while both on the grid next season.
Was Bortoleto part of the McLaren program?
Bortoleto joined the McLaren Driver Development program in October 2023 after impressing in F3. He tested the 2022 car at the Red Bull Ring in September had worked in the team’s simulator. McLaren CEO described the Brazilian as a “great racing driver.”
McLaren released Bortoleto to join Sauber to stand in the Brazilian’s way of gaining a full-time F1 seat. The Woking-based team have two young drivers themselves. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are contracted until the end of the 2026 season. This left no room for Bortoleto who had to leave to further his career.
Has Gabriel Bortoleto had praise from others around F1?
Bortoleto has had much praise from around the paddock. Talking before the Bazilian Grand Prix, three-time world champion Max Verstappen said he would “have already signed” the 20-year-old.
Bortoleto’s new boss Mattia Binotto also praised the youngster, saying: “Gabriel has already demonstrated in the junior categories that he has what it takes to be a winning driver. We are very pleased that he will become a team member of Sauber and Audi.”
Bortoleto now needs to prove his talent. The pressure is now on as he joins the F1 grid. He will face scrutiny if he makes mistakes on the world stage. This will show if the 20-year-old has what it takes to make it in F1, or if he will fall by the wayside.
