F1 | Gabriel Bortoleto recalls Fernando Alonso’s motivating message. Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto recalls a memorable voice message from Fernando Alonso.

Gabriel Bortoleto recently shared a story about receiving a voice message from Fernando Alonso during his Formula 3 days — a memory he says he will never forget.

The Brazilian driver bounced back at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing tenth and earning a valuable point for Sauber, who are battling for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. It was an important result following a challenging weekend in Austin, where he had finished second to last.

“There will always be good weekends and difficult weekends — I’ve said that before. I’m a rookie, and that’s not an excuse for wanting to do better, but with experience you learn a lot. I’m still learning,” Gabriel Bortoleto said. “In a way, I’m actually glad I went through a tough weekend like Austin, because it opened my eyes to several aspects. When things always go well, everyone is happy, and you don’t focus enough on your weaknesses. After a bad weekend, you really learn to look inward and understand what you can improve.”

Alonso’s voice message to Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto signed with Fernando Alonso’s A14 Management ahead of his Formula 3 season, during which he went on to win the championship by taking the first two main races of the year, though he couldn’t claim another victory until the end of the season.

During that season, the two-time world champion sent him a long voice message to remind him that highs and lows are natural in racing. “Things never really went badly in F3, to be honest,” Gabriel Bortoleto explained. “I just stopped winning as often, but I was still on the podium, in the top five, collecting solid points.” – the Sauber driver pointed out.

“I remember Fernando sending me a long voice message saying not to expect to win every race. At some point, performance dips — it’s natural — and the important thing is to stay focused and keep working at your best,” he added.

“When you get used to winning or always being at the top, it’s not easy to accept slipping out of that level of performance. But that’s exactly when you learn the most,” the Brazilian concluded.