As the clocks turn back and a new year dawns on Formula 1, the impending moves across the sport have become official. Passionate Ferrari fans have flocked to Instagram to follow Sir Lewis Hamilton as he embarks on his newest journey with the team. On that same note, Liam Lawson will finally get his chance to don the Red Bull race suit for the first time in his young career following the departure of Mexican driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez.
Although Pérez will be exiting Formula 1, a new Latino driver Gabriel Bortoleto will burst onto the scene next year in a seat with Kick Sauber.
Gabriel Bortoleto is “All Gas, No Brakes” as he prepares for 2025 – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
Bortoleto, a 20-year-old Brazilian from Sao Paulo, grew up around motor sports from a young age. His family has owned and operated KTF Racing, which races in both stock car and karting competitions while his father, Lincoln Oliveira, is the CEO and co-owner of the Stock Car Pro Race Series, a stock car racing competition in Brazil.
In 2011, Bortoleto began his karting journey and soon after took an important step towards Formula 1 when he moved to Europe to face better competition.
“It was difficult moving away from my family, but I was just a kid that had a dream,” Bortoleto noted following his Formula 1 contract signing (via F3). “Honestly, F1 was too far away still, but I always wanted to be an F1 driver and be like them. I had this on my mind, so I think it helped me quite a lot to not think about how far away I was from my family.”
Racing is in Gabriel Bortoleto’s DNA – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
For the next eight years, Bartoletto would continue to refine his craft in Europe and soon saw success on an international level in 2018 when he took bronze in the Karting Europe and World Championships. These major wins would allow him to take the next important leap in his career and begin single-seater racing in Italy.
For the 2020 motor sport season, Bortoleto would begin in the Italian F4 championship at the age of 16. In just his fourth race of the season, he took home his first win before going on to take three more podiums on his way to a fifth place overall finish at season’s end.
Due to his impressive finishes in F4 and later in the Formula Regional European Championship, Bortoleto would gain a seat with Trident in FIA Formula 3 following impressive testing laps just weeks earlier. His time with Trident would get off to a rocky start, coming 19th in his first feature race with the team. His rebound, however, was impressive, coming first in just his second race in Formula 3 and another race later took home his second win. These two impressive drives would skyrocket Bortoleto into first place in the Drivers Championship and from there he would never look back.
Gabriel Bortoleto took home the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
His newfound silverware would not just allow him to move up the ranks this time but also gain a mentor who has seen more Formula 1 action than any other driver on the grid today.
“It all started with a conversation [in 2022] and then at the end of the year, we had a deal to work together and I started to talk to Fernando Alonso,” explained Bortoleto (via F3). “I met him in person for the first time at his karting track just before Christmas and it was nice. We spent two to three days together there doing karting, going to the gym, padel, and a lot of stuff. In the moments, I realized a lot about the effort he puts in.”
Fernando Alonso approached the young Brazilian with an opportunity to be represented by his company, A14 Management. From there, Bortoleto has been able to foster an important relationship with the Spaniard and learn from the most experienced driver in the sport.
When asked who he believed the best rookie driver would be in 2025 Fernando, entering his 22nd season in the sport, Alonso said: “I mean, [Bortoleto] is the best. Nothing really I can add,” (via PlanetF1).
Gabriel Bortoleto, a man of the people – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
With the newfound support of Alonso and the confidence coming off of an important Championship win in F3, Bortoleto would sign with the McLaren Driver Development Program, a prestigious group that the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, and Lando Norris have all graduated from. Bortoleto would be allowed to test the McLaren car in a Free Practice 1 setting at the Red Bull Ring in September 2024.
Entering F2 in 2024, his start would not be nearly as glamorous as his beginnings in F3. With Invicta Racing, Bortoleto began his first three races with important points finishes before retiring the following three races in a row. Already a step back in the Championship, the mid-season rebuild soon occurred as two podiums would help to move him up the rankings before an incredible run of 10 straight points finishes with his first win in F2 would follow.
With grit and determination, Gabriel Bortoleto is now living out his childhood dreams – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
A steady end to the season with one more win and five more podiums, including two silvers to end the season, made Bortoleto worthy of the F2 championship.
What’s to come for Gabriel Bortoleto in 2025?
Fresh off a disappointing season, Stake F1 Team announced that the newly named F2 champion would be a contender for a seat in 2025 after they failed to retain Zhou Guanyou and Valtteri Bottas. So, the Stake F1 team will be taken over by Audi in 2026, but for 2025 and beyond will see veteran Niko Hulkenburg join the team as their first driver.
Concerning the rumors that Bortoleto would be one of a select few drivers Stake considers for a 2025 spot (via F1), reigning world champion Max Verstappen previously stated, “If I was Sauber, I would’ve signed him already. Especially [because] that’s the future, young drivers.”
Gabriel Bortoleto during the first day of official F1 testing for 2025 – Image Credit: @GabrielBortoleto_ on Instagram
On November 6, 2024, just after his home race in Sao Paulo, Stake F1 announced the signing of Bortoleto as their second driver to compete in F1 for 2025. He is the first driver to be promoted straight to F1 after an F2 championship since Mick Schumacker in 2021 and breaks the trend that Oscar Piastri set of not being promoted until a year after their F2 win.
Bortoleto will be the only Latino on the grid in the wake of the departures of Mexican Sergio Pérez and interim Williams driver Franco Colopintio.
The F1 season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 16 and Gabriel Bortoleto’s debut can be viewed on ESPN.
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