Gabriel Bortoleto was F3 champion as a rookie, F2 champion also as a rookie, and he will be in Formula 1 next year with Sauber F1. A journey that only Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri have achieved before him.
“For me, it is an honor to be among these names” Bortoleto said in an interview with the official F1 website. “You can see that these drivers have won races in Formula 1, that they are serious title contenders and that it is a privilege for me to be included in this list.”
“These are drivers who are very strong and who are a source of inspiration for the younger generation who come through F2 and F3 and who are looking to do the same thing as them in the past. For me, it is nice to be part of this club. Now it's about looking forward and seeing what I can do in F1.
The Brazilian talks about his contract signing with Stake, and he is happy to have succeeded: “I was with my girlfriend and I had my parents on FaceTime, one of my sponsors was also on the phone, it was a very special moment for us.”
“They were there and were able to witness the signing of my F1 contract. When you have a lot of people behind you, who support you, who reassure you that you can do it, who wish you good luck, it can mean that the pressure is a little greater.”
“But it never distracted me, it was rather positive for me. Having these good people around me, who supported me since I was young, when I won, it was a weight off my shoulders. shoulders.”
“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 got it because I won the two championships, like Piastri, Russell and Leclerc.”
Brazilians haven't had much success in F1 recently, and Bortoleto wants to change that in the coming years. If he says he is proud to bring his country back to the top of motorsport, he explains that he misses
“I'm happy to represent my country, but it doesn't completely satisfy me. I also want to win races in the future, to fight for important things. But first I have to improve as a driver and progressing in F1 is the most important thing for me now.”
