After months of speculation, Sauber finally zeroed in on a 2025 teammate for Nico Hulkenberg last November. Gabriel Bortoleto emerged as the winner in the battle, which included Franco Colapinto and Valtteri Bottas, for the second seat at the Hinwil-based outfit.
Bortoleto, who won the 2024 F2 title in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, is currently in a relationship with Isabella Bernardini. Although Bernardini is from Brazil, like Bortoleto, she is currently pursuing a degree in computer science in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
She is presumably around the same age as the 20-year-old future F1 driver, though little is known about her personal life. They have reportedly been together since 2020, but have largely kept their relationship private. However, now that Bortoleto will be a part of the grid, it is expected that Bernardini, like others close to him, will make more appearances in the F1 paddock.
Bernardini maintains a private Instagram account with just over 2,000 followers, indicating that she prefers to keep her circle close. Even Bortoleto doesn’t frequently post about her, though he did share a photo of them together from the 2024 summer break.
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The image, which featured him alongside his brother Enzo, also showed Isabella by his side, offering a glimpse of their relationship. During the 2023 Prize Giving Ceremony, Bortoleto also took Bernardini to the gala, even posing for a picture in which she is seen wearing a long blue dress.
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She also accompanied him to the 2024 Prize Giving Gala in Kigali, Rwanda, where the Brazilian collected his F2 championship trophy.
Having been a part of the McLaren driver academy, Bortoleto has joined Sauber with huge expectations. Even though the Swiss team is a backmarker currently, Bortoleto would hope his talent comes in handy to push them up the pecking order as they transform into Audi in 2026.
