Fernando Alonso started his own management firm named A14 in 2022, and has since taken a bunch of talented young drivers under his wing. One of them, Gabriel Bortoleto, is on the cusp of F2 success, with just one favorable result away from securing the Championship.
Bortoleto entered the Abu Dhabi weekend — the final one of 2024 — 0.5 points ahead of Isack Hadjar. The gap was slim, but extended to 5.5 points after the sprint race on Saturday, where Bortoleto finished P2. “Another strong day,” Alonso wrote on Instagram, tagging Bortoleto, and also Pepe Marti who won the race (another A14 client).
Just one race to decide the 2024 #F2 champion #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/tSMml04W6I
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) December 7, 2024
Still, with maximum points of the weekend available in the feature race on Sunday, Hadjar has every chance of jumping Bortoleto and winning the title. One thing is certain, however. Alonso will be in Bortoleto’s corner, cheering him on just like he did during the Sao-Paulo-born driver’s F3 days.
Bortoleto, of course, will be aiming for a win. But even if things don’t go perfectly, he would hope to finish at least five points ahead.
Bortoleto’s fate is sealed
Bortoleto, in his rookie F2 season, impressed the paddock immensely and after months of speculation, landed a seat for himself in F1. The 20-year-old will be a part of the 2025 grid in Sauber’s colors, as he looks to steer the team to its transition with Audi in 2026. A surreal moment for Bortoleto, who will share the grid with his idol Alonso.
Hadjar, however, doesn’t have a place on the table yet. However, he had a chance to test for Red Bull in Silverstone earlier this year, which shows that the Milton-Keynes-based outfit has him in its pipeline.
Even if he doesn’t win the F2 Championship, Red Bull might still bring the French-Algerian into its sister team, RB. This could happen if a spot opens up due to Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson replacing Sergio Perez at the main team.
