F1 | Was Fernando Alonso behind Gabriel Bortoleto’s signing at Sauber?. How much did Fernando Alonso actually push for Sauber to choose Gabriel Bortoleto?.

Gabriel Bortoleto is one of the emerging talents to watch next year: he will be Nico Hülkenberg‘s teammate at Sauber.

After months of doubt and uncertainty, the Swiss team made a quick announcement, revealing the departures of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, and the arrival of the young Brazilian driver in 2025. No Mick Schumacher, whose name was one of the potential candidates alongside Franco Colapinto’s (who will definitely be on the grid next year, though it’s still unclear which team he will join).

Gabriel Bortoleto, born in 2004, had already made a name for himself. In 2023, he won the Formula 3 championship and later joined McLaren’s junior program – from which he left to join Sauber. Fernando Alonso had spotted him two years earlier and brought him under his wing through the A14 agency, which manages emerging drivers.

“Gabriel is a promising young man,” the two-time world champion said a few months ago. “Brazil also has a lot of Formula 1 history and many great drivers. But maybe he has a bit too much pressure. We need to give Gabriel time. His moment in Formula 1 will come. We must not take shortcuts that could hinder the development of his talent. He must arrive in F1 at the right time. He also needs to be in the right team and environment.”

Apparently, that moment has now arrived. Given Fernando Alonso’s influence on Gabriel Bortoleto’s career, how much did he actually push for Sauber to choose him?

This question was answered by Mattia Binotto, team principal: “The answer is simple: very little, if not nothing. I know Fernando very well. We’ve met in the paddock, but he never tried to come to me with a persuasive argument because I think what convinced me was Gabriel, nothing else. So, it has nothing to do with Fernando. Yes, I had a chat, but it was really nothing special.”