Gabriel Bortoleto silences Helmut Marko and Fernando Alonso defends him: “Facts matter more than words”. Fernando Alonso came to Gabriel Bortoleto’s defense.

With the first qualifying session of the year completed, conclusions can finally be drawn, providing a clearer picture of the 2025 season. One of the standout performances came from rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who secured an impressive result for Sauber in Australia. In doing so, he silenced his critics and received support from Fernando Alonso.

In addition to Hamilton’s performance with Ferrari and Carlos Sainz’s debut with Williams, much anticipation surrounded how the rookies would fare in their first outing in Formula 1. This year, following a 2024 season with an unchanged grid, five new drivers have made their debut: Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman, Jack Doohan, and Isack Hadjar.

However, in reality, only three of them—Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, and Kimi Antonelli—are making their true F1 debuts. The other two, along with Liam Lawson, have already had the opportunity to complete a full race weekend in the past. Expectations for these young drivers remain moderate in the early part of the season, as they must first adapt quickly before making an impact.

Gabriel Bortoleto, however, seems to have skipped that learning phase. From the first free practice session, the Sauber driver appeared very comfortable in the car, often outpacing his teammate, Nico Hülkenberg. In qualifying, when many expected the experienced German to make the difference, the young Brazilian delivered a stunning performance.

He advanced past Q1 with a brilliant lap, eliminating his teammate and Mercedes’ Antonelli. In Q2, he maintained strong pace but made a mistake on his final attempt at Turn 4, leaving him in 15th place. His best lap was a 1:17.520.

With this performance, Gabriel Bortoleto effectively silenced Helmut Marko, who had recently referred to him as a “second-tier driver,” especially when compared to Isack Hadjar. Fernando Alonso also came to the defense of the Sauber rookie, calling him a major talent.

“Helmut has to defend his drivers, but I think the facts are a bit stronger than his words. I don’t know if he was referring to their battle in F2 last year… They finished first and second in the championship, both have incredible talent, which is a great sign. Let’s see what the future holds for them.

“I hope they both have long and successful careers. What Gabriel has accomplished, winning F3 and F2 in his first year, is very significant. Only time will tell.”

Gabriel Bortoleto also reflected on his qualifying session. “I made a mistake on my final lap. I pushed too hard at Turn 4 and ended up too far onto the curb on exit. At first, I wasn’t even sure I could keep the car under control—it was a bit too risky. I knew the car was strong, maybe even good enough for Q3.”