Gabriel Bortoleto, aiming to be Brazil’s subsequent Senna

Within the first of a brand new mini-series the place Motorsport.com is delving into the burgeoning System 1 careers of the six 2025 rookies, in the present day we’re introducing new Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

The 20-year-old hails from Sao Paulo and has already constructed a formidable junior motorsport profession.

Like Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri earlier than him, Bortoleto arrives on the high tier having received back-to-back System 3 (referred to as GP3 when Leclerc and Russell received this title) and System 2 championships on the first try.

Earlier than then, he produced respectable returns in Italian System 4 and the System Regional European championship after shifting to Italy aged 13 along with his coach Francesco di Mauro.

Bortoleto’s household have appreciable wealth, along with his father Lincoln Oliveira getting wealthy in Brazil’s telecommunications trade within the Nineteen Nineties. They’re understood to have had shut hyperlinks with Brazil’s most up-to-date debuting F1 driver, Felipe Nasr, on his approach up the single-seater ranks earlier than making his personal F1 bow with Sauber again in 2015.

However that’s removed from Bortoleto’s solely present tie to the highest of the only seater ladder, as he has been managed by Fernando Alonso’s A14 firm since 2023.

A14 helped to safe his berth with the Trident group with which Bortoleto went on to win that 12 months’s F3 title – taking two wins and one pole within the course of.

He produced related numbers in profitable the 2024 F2 title with the Invicta squad (two wins, two poles), however what set him aside in each profitable campaigns was his potential to carry house constant factors when his title rivals floundered by way of numerous phases.

By 2024, Bortoleto had joined the books at McLaren, which agreed to launch him from his junior driver standing to go to Sauber when the soon-to-be Audi squad got here calling as 2024 concluded. McLaren may have no F1 seat openings till the tip of 2026 on the earliest and Bortoleto had nowhere additional to progress up the ladder.

McLaren group boss Andrea Stella spoke warmly of Bortoleto’s achievements final 12 months, calling him “humble” and “at no level boastful” – even when the 2024 F2 season began off with a battle to adapt to the championship’s new spec automobile.

Alonso took a usually extra bombastic method in comparison with his former race engineer.

“I do know there are lots of talks in regards to the younger technology – lots of rookies additionally subsequent 12 months, very gifted all of them – however the most effective is Gabriel,” the Aston Martin driver stated on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix final 12 months. “He confirmed it on observe with the identical automobiles.”

When requested by Motorsport.com how he would select to introduce himself to F1 followers on the latest F175 Dwell occasion in London, Bortoleto replied: “I do not know. I attempt to be myself as a lot as I can. I do not attempt to be totally different.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber C45

Picture by: Sauber F1 Crew

“For example, once I’m on observe or once I’m round cameras or no matter, I attempt to be who I’m. Who I at all times was. You possibly can say I attempt to be humorous… (“However you’re very humorous,” interjected new Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg) Thanks. I do not know. I simply attempt to be like this.

“And within the automobile, I imagine I attempt to work very exhausting to realize each dream I had. It was the identical in System 3 and System 2. I work very exhausting to realize the championships.

“Plenty of days. Doing simulator work with the group. Spending time with engineers. So, I do not suppose the method can be totally different in System 1. That is a bit of bit how I describe myself. However we’ll see this season. You will note and I need not let you know as a result of it is even tough for myself to talk about me.”

Hulkenberg felt he and Bortoleto bonded nicely throughout their preliminary sponsor commitments collectively within the low season, forward of what’s anticipated to be a tough marketing campaign for the Sauber squad.

Nonetheless, Hulkenberg stated Bortoleto had been “quick as hell” in Bahrain testing final month, the place he additionally highlighted his team-mate’s talents as a quick learner.

Elsewhere within the paddock at that occasion, Bortoleto’s willingness to criticise the adjustments to Testing of Earlier Vehicles guidelines for 2025, which successfully make him one of the unprepared F1 rookies ever by way of mileage in older equipment mixed with restricted pre-season take a look at working, went down nicely by way of the teen displaying a mature character.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs

Bortoleto now enters F1 with the burden of a motorsport-mad nation behind him. He’s nicely conscious of the response granted to Argentina’s Franco Colapinto sudden and memorable F1 run final 12 months, which in flip raises expectations on what he would possibly obtain in 2025.

Sauber’s doubtless struggles to flee Q1 on tempo means he could make the anticipated rookie errors away from the strongest glare of the F1 media highlight, however robust outcomes in opposition to a driver as wonderful as Hulkenberg could possibly be the making of an extended profession on the high stage.

Bortoleto arrives as a rich younger racing driver seeking to encourage Brazil by way of his charming character and racing velocity. As an Ayrton Senna-like story goes, it’s already off to a stable begin…