In Abu Dhabi, on December 8, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri were joined by a new member in the very exclusive club of Formula 3 and Formula 2 champions: Gabriel Bortoleto. By winning his duel against Isack Hadjar and winning the title in the Formula 1 lobby, the Brazilian achieved the feat of winning the two championships consecutively, in his first year each time. A rare performance which places him directly among the most promising talents in Formula 1, for the one who will join Sauber in 2025.
“For me, it is an honor to be among these names, confides the Paulist, who would like to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors by also winning in the premier category. These drivers have won races in Formula 1, they are serious title candidates and it is a privilege for me to be part of this list. They are very good drivers who are a source of inspiration for the younger generation who are arriving in F2 and F3 and who are looking to do the same thing as them. For me, it's nice to be part of this club. Now it's about looking forward and seeing what I can do in F1. »
Bortoleto “deserves” to be in F1 after his two titles
Throughout 2024, Gabriel Bortoleto progressed and from a simple outsider at the start of the season, the Brazilian established himself as a serious candidate for the title before pocketing the crown in Formula 2. A title acquired thanks to a impressive regularity at the end of the season but above all, thanks to the sequence of meetings at Monza (winner of the Main Race starting last) and Baku (two finishes in the points, zero points for Hadjar) which allowed him to position himself ideally before the end of the season… and to convince Sauber to recruit him for 2025.
“I think the break was good for me. The negotiations were finished two weeks before the formalization, but in Monza and in Baku we were still discussing, and so it was at those times that the performance was very important, says Gabriel Bortoleto. Mattia [Binotto] was very good: he knew we were fast and that we had the opportunity to do a good job together. With the results I was getting in F2, it was clear to us that we were progressing, and the season was good. With each race I improved as a driver and we did our job better. »
“In Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the pressure was less after getting the contract, but the pressure to win was still there, to win the Formula 2 championship, that pressure was still there, adds the 20-year-old pilot. I proved to myself that by winning F3 and F2, I deserved to be here. I didn't get this contract for anything else, I did it because I won both championships, like Piastri, Russell and Leclerc. » A heavy succession to assume, since these three drivers are now multiple Grand Prix winners and drive for top teams.
Will he be able to shine with Sauber?
Gabriel Bortoleto will certainly have to wait one or more seasons to hope to achieve a first victory in Formula 1, he who will make his debut in the modest Sauber team next year. The Swiss team only scored four points in 2024 and it is hard to imagine it returning to the forefront any time soon, despite the arrival of Audi and Qatari investors. But the Brazilian driver knows it: if he signed with Sauber, it is also to be part of the Audi project and aim for long-term success.
Lined up alongside Nico Hülkenberg in 2025, the Paulist will have a lot to learn for his first year in Formula 1, but he will need to be patient before playing with the best. Before him, George Russell had notably waited three years at Williams before being promoted to Mercedes… but the Briton had a long-standing association with the Etoile brand, which is not the case for Gabriel Bortoleto who left the McLaren academy to join Sauber. Despite a multi-year contract, his first year in F1 could already be decisive for the rest of his career! Everything remains to be done for the Brazilian…
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