After winning the 2023 F3 title on his first attempt, Gabriel Bortoleto had a challenging start to his rookie season in F2. However, following second-place finishes in the Imola and Monaco races in May, the young McLaren driver began gaining momentum, winning the Feature Race in Austria in July. This coincided with Mattia Binotto’s entry into the Sauber/Audi team, where finding a second driver for 2025 and beyond was one of his initial tasks.
Gabriel Bortoleto: “Binotto showed a lot of interest in me”
After the potential candidate Carlos Sainz committed to Williams at the end of August, Gabriel Bortoleto’s rise to the F2 lead made him an obvious candidate, especially since it was clear there would be no opening for him at McLaren in the coming years.
“Obviously, this season didn’t start so well,” said the Brazilian. “So at first, we didn’t have, let’s say, talks or anything about next year. At one point, my managers and I even considered the possibility of staying in F2 and what we would do. Then, however, this season turned around. I started winning races and getting podiums at every round. So yes, obviously, the Audi thing started. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but then we started talking. Mattia showed a lot of interest in me. It’s a very exciting project, and then we decided to go for it. Mattia wasn’t sure whether he wanted an experienced driver for next year or a young driver, but the plan was always to be together for ’25 or ’26. I think it was a very recent decision on Mattia’s part about ’25.”
Gabriel Bortoleto insisted that he “wasn’t stressed” despite having to wait a bit for confirmation that he had secured the job. “Obviously, as a young driver, you always want to be in F1 as soon as possible,” he said. “But I had complete trust in my team that we would have a good opportunity. When we first spoke with Mattia, we had this conversation. And we were planning for the future, not just for next year. I was pretty calm. I wasn’t too stressed, and it doesn’t change anything in my life right now, because I already knew things would have to happen in the future. So I’ll keep driving the same way, doing my job in F2, and aiming for this championship where we are leading right now. But obviously, it’s very nice to be announced, to put an end to all this speculation here and there, and to focus solely on F2.”
Sauber in the Brazilian’s destiny and expectations for 2025
As the first Brazilian with a full-time F1 drive in eight years, Gabriel Bortoleto says he has a lot of support from fans. “It’s great to be on the grid after so many years,” he said. “I think the last Brazilian to race a full season was Felipe Massa. Actually, the first team he raced for was Sauber, so it’s nice to start my story with the same team he raced for. And yes, it’s special. I think Brazil has always supported me, especially this F2 season, which has created a lot of expectations because of my good results in F3. Then, when we started doing quite well in F2, expectations for the jump to F1 were also high. I don’t think this has somehow lowered my performance or anything like that. I think it has only gotten better and better because it’s the kind of thing that gives you energy, you create energy from them. I think it will be very positive to have Brazilian fans helping us, supporting us, and just wanting me to perform well in F1 and enjoy it there.”
He is confident that the Swiss team can move forward after a difficult 2024 Formula 1 season. “As for next year’s car, obviously, I’m still meeting everyone here at Sauber,” he said. “But I think I’m very positive about it. I’ve seen that there are new people coming in, and of course, there are many expectations with my announcement here as well. I think we’re basically not in a good position at the moment, but I’m sure we’ll make strides and get there.”
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