Gabriel Bortoleto on Fernando Alonso: « We both wanted to be together » in F1

On November 6th, Gabriel Bortoleto was officially announced by the Sauber team for the 2025 season, alongside Nico Hülkenberg. Last year, the 20-year-old driver joined the exclusive group of drivers who have won the F3 and F2 titles back-to-back. This group currently includes Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri. Consequently, he logically secured a spot in Formula 1, but the transition to the premier category is anything but guaranteed.

Indeed, in recent seasons, the winner of the Formula 2 championship generally sees their career come to a halt. This was the case for Théo Pourchaire in 2023, who became a reserve driver in 2024, as well as for the drivers before him, all on standby as reserve drivers.

Fernando has a real chance by his side.

« It’s not easy, you have to find sponsors to get there. My father then went to race at the Red Bull Ring with friends. He met Fernando and [his longtime friends] Alberto [Fernandez Albilares] and Albert [Resclosa Coll]. The trio formed the A14 management agency. Fernando knew who I was since I was racing for his team in FRECA [the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine]. I achieved very good results for the team, like the first podium, the first row. » Said Bortoleto.

« We both wanted to be together, me with a good management team and them with confidence in a young driver […] We signed, we won the championship. », the Brazilian added.

It is crucial to have a driver of Alonso’s caliber by one’s side. The Spaniard is considered one of the most talented drivers F1 has ever known and continues to race in F1 at the age of 43, 24 years after his debut in the sport. His confidence in Bortoleto only confirms the idea that he is a remarkable person in this sport.

Bortoloté thanks Alonso immensely for being by his side: « I can say that I am very grateful for all the advice he has given me over the past two years. He has been very good to me. He is willing to help me and teach me. It’s a good thing to have him by my side. »

He will be surrounded by competitors of his caliber, being one of the five rookies on the grid this season, alongside Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), his championship opponent in F2 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Ollie Bearman (Haas), and Jack Doohan (Alpine).

“We have been running together since we were 10 years old,” he said. “Ollie, the rookie, is the one who resembles me the most. Kimi is a very nice guy. Jack has always been ahead of me in a series, we haven’t had much contact, but we have talked.”

His new life in Switzerland

« The preparation work has been very intense here at Sauber. I came here two or three times a week, I focused on a lot of work on the simulator, I was with the engineers, I understood how they talk to each other, how they want me to talk to them, how I want them to talk to me, » he stated to F1.com.

« I want to be very close to them and create a very good relationship before the start of the season. This is something I have always done, especially these years with my teams in F2 and F3, so when we started the season in the first round, it felt like we had already been together for years. »

This work philosophy is one of the aspects that has most impressed Mattia Binotto, the director of Sauber, although he is not the only one to admire the Brazilian for his abilities. The management company A14 of double world champion Fernando Alonso acquired Bortoleto at a time when his career was at stake.

Bortoleto will likely face the most challenging task among the rookies, considering that he has joined the team that finished last in the 2024 championship and that due to the late signing of his contract, he did not have the opportunity to participate without limitations in the TPC tests (Testing of Previous Car) to get up to the same level. Although he had a good winter testing, he will have to double his rivalries.