Gabriel Bortoleto recently got confirmed as Sauber’s driver for the 2025 season, with the Brazilian becoming the first from his country to be a part of the F1 grid since Felipe Massa in 2017. Bortoleto, a talented F2 rookie, is also part of Fernando Alonso’s A14 academy, and he once credited the Spaniard for teaching him the keys to success.
“When I started working with him, I saw how much dedication and effort he puts into the sport. I’ve learned a lot from working with him and I pushed myself a lot more to improve and grow after I understood how important it is to put in the effort like he does. This was a change in my mindset that I think is paying off now,” Bortoleto said during an interview from his F3 days.
With the Sao Paolo-born driver being a part of the A14 academy, it comes as no surprise that he also developed a strong bond with Alonso.
Bortoleto revealed that the two-time World Champion was kind enough to take part in karting and other activities with him while acting as his mentor.
2023: Alonso tirando foto do Bortoleto depois de vencer na F3.
2025: Os dois vão estar na F1 correndo juntos. pic.twitter.com/UnTTKqfM74
— Massinha F1 (@MassinhaF1_) November 6, 2024
Through these personal interactions, Bortoleto—leader of the 2024 F2 Championship—understood the amount of effort Alonso put in to succeed at the highest level of motorsport.
During the same interview, he also credited the Spaniard for his heartwarming gesture when he won his maiden F3 race in 2023. “To have someone that is a two-time F1 World Champion and is someone that I admire a lot being at the podium and congratulating me for what I’d just achieved. That for me was a dream, to win a race on my debut”, he said.
Alonso has always appreciated Bortoleto’s talent and backed him to reach F1. But even he was cautious about putting too many expectations on his shoulders. He too, would be likely surprised by how quickly the 20-year-old managed to find his way into F1.
Alonso thought Bortoleto would need time
Just a month before Bortoleto’s Sauber announcement came out, Alonso said, “We have to give Gabriel time,” in an interview with Motorsport Magazin.com. It would perhaps be “a little too much pressure” for him to jump to F1 in 2025, Alonso had stated.
The Aston Martin driver thought that Bortoleto should not try and force his way into the pinnacle of motorsport, as it would hamper his development. But he did.
Being a newcomer and leading the F2 table, Sauber couldn’t help but notice his talent, just like the rest of F1 did. The Hinwil-based team took its time but ultimately chose Bortoleto as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate for 2025.
But with Alonso himself hesitant about his protege making his F1 debut so fast, did Sauber make the right move? While only time will tell, it would certainly be a proud moment for Alonso to have someone from his academy rub shoulders with some of the best drivers in the world.
With several months still to go before his F1 debut, Gabriel Bortoleto’s immediate focus is on ending the F2 season on a high note by securing the championship title. Currently, he holds a narrow 4.5-point lead over second-placed Isack Hadjar, with just two races remaining in the campaign.
