Gabriel Bortoleto looks back on his F3 days: “Fernando Alonso helped me, I am very grateful”. Gabriel Bortoleto recalled the difficulties in securing a seat in the junior category.

Two Championships Won
We have now reached the week of the Australian Grand Prix, which will officially open the 2025 season this weekend at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit. This will mark the long-awaited on-track battle between the top teams, as well as the start of a new adventure for several rookies, including Sauber’s Brazilian driver, Gabriel Bortoleto. For the 20-year-old, this represents a definitive step up in his career after securing back-to-back titles in Formula 3 and Formula 2, respectively in 2023 and last year.

Difficulties Before F3
His rise has been both rapid and steady, but it did not come without challenges for the young South American driver. More than his performance on track, Nico Hülkenberg’s teammate recalled the difficulties he faced in securing a seat in the Formula 3 championship. “We had a lot of problems in 2022,” he admitted to *F1.com*. “Nobody was following us at the time. It was just me and my father, and I didn’t have the opportunity to move into F3 at that moment. We had no idea how difficult it was to get a seat in F3. We thought: ‘It’s still July, we have time.’ Then I started hearing that PREMA was full, Trident was almost full, and I realized we probably needed to start pushing for it.” – the Sauber driver added.

Fernando Alonso’s Help
Gabriel Bortoleto’s chances of debuting in F3 in 2023 seemed slim—until a meeting with a Formula 1 driver proved crucial in securing his place in the junior category. “My father went to a race at the Red Bull Ring with some friends, and there he met Fernando Alonso along with Alberto Fernandez and Albert Resclosa (the trio behind A14 Management, a company focused on managing young drivers),” he explained. “Fernando knew who I was because I had raced for his team in Formula Regional European by Alpine and had achieved great results, like the team’s first podium and first front-row start. We both wanted to work together—I had a good management team, and they believed in a young driver who could achieve strong results in the future. They called Trident, and it was pretty crazy. Everything worked out really well. We signed, we won the championship, and it became an amazing experience.” – he pointed out.

Full Gratitude
Now, in 2025, Gabriel Bortoleto and Fernando Alonso will both be on the Formula 1 grid, and the Brazilian has expressed his deep gratitude to his mentor. “We have a great professional relationship,” he concluded. “When we talk, it’s always about racing. When I see him at the track, if I have questions, he’s always been there to help me in F3 and F2. I am very grateful for all the advice he has given me over the past two years. He’s been very good to me, willing to help and teach me. It’s amazing to have him supporting me.”