Formula 1 drivers tend to look forward, with a laser focus on what they can do better to cement the place on the grid they have worked towards for so long.
An appreciation for what they have already achieved often comes later, sometimes only after their careers have ended. Gabriel Bortoleto is a wonderful exception. Aged 20, his youth shines through but is paired with thoughtful insight and observations that bely his tender age.
There certainly is a lot to reflect on, as it is hard to overstate just how much Bortoleto’s life has changed over the past two years. Just 24 months ago, the Brazilian was yet to win a single-seater title, while on his way to break his duck in the 2023 FIA F3 championship.
That success at Monza helped transform the former McLaren junior’s career, making an equally successful step up to F2 – which he won at the first time of asking last year – and made him an attractive enough proposition for Sauber to pry him loose from the papaya team.
Bortoleto, along with F2 title rival Isack Hadjar, flew somewhat under the radar amid F1 2025’s oversized rookie class, with a lot of eyeballs on Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes replacement Andrea Kimi Antonelli and outstanding Ferrari cameo driver Oliver Bearman.
Hadjar soon drew plaudits with his immediate form, and Bortoleto has now also had the opportunity to prove himself with a much improved Sauber. But while he has set his sights on much loftier targets than sixth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he has not forgotten how fortunate he is to be here.
“I am a happy guy, grateful for what I am experiencing and the opportunities I have had,” Bortoleto told Motorsport.com.
“I have several friends who are fully capable of deserving a chance in Formula 1, talented guys who would do anything to be in the position I am in today, and that is something I often think about. It drives me to work hard, to give my all in everything I do to make the most of the opportunity I have been given.”
Aged 12, Bortoleto traded his native Brazil for Desenzano sul Garda in Italy, where he enjoyed a successful karting career before moving towards single-seaters. But it was a journey not without obstacles.
“There were difficult moments,” he said. “In 2022 (the year Bortoleto competed in his second season in Formula Regional), I had several problems with the engines, but these are issues that are not made public.
“On that occasion, I realised that the only thing to do was to roll up my sleeves and try to make up ground where possible. There was no point in making excuses, and today, looking back, I realise that that situation made me a stronger driver and a stronger person. I put all my energy into the aspects I could improve, I had to gain tenths where possible, and I think I grew. I had confirmation of this when the technical problems were resolved.
“Once everything was sorted out, I started winning, and the end of the season was very good. But the most important confirmation came during my first ever test at the wheel of a Formula 3 single-seater. I went to Jerez with the Trident team. I had never driven a car with that kind of power before, and I found myself in the lead with a half-second advantage over my closest rival.
“Everything came naturally, from the feeling with the car to the relationship with the engineers, and that day I realised that I could do very well, which is what happened the following season when I won the title.”
The year 2022 was also a key turning point off-track, with the arrival of two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso and his A14 management team.
“Fernando came on board in mid-2022 and it was a very important step, a great added value. In 2023, I arrived in Formula 3 and raced in Formula 1 weekends for the first time. When I entered the circuit for the first time, I realised that I would be racing under the eyes of all the major Formula 1 teams, so I asked Fernando for lots of advice on how to manage the race weekend, the pressure, the expectations, and many other things.
“One might think that someone as busy as Alonso wouldn’t have time, but I can confirm that he always found it, perhaps sacrificing his breaks, and I find his willingness to help very admirable and, of course, a great added value.”
At the end of the day, there is no substitute for winning to speed up a career trajectory. Suddenly, Bortoleto became one of the young drivers F1 teams were starting to notice, including one of the sport’s juggernauts.
“After getting off to a great start in 2023, winning the first two feature races, one day I received a phone call from Emanuele Pirro,” said Bortoleto. “I had worked in F4 with his son Goffredo, who was my engineer, but I had never had the opportunity to meet Emanuele and I was not even aware of the role he had at McLaren at the time, as head of the young driver programme.
“I remember the phone call well and I was really surprised. Emanuele proved to be a great person. It took a while to prepare the contract, but in the end, I was the first driver to officially join the programme.”
With his rapid rise to the top of F2, Bortoleto even caught McLaren off guard. At the end of 2024, it suddenly had the new F2 champion in its ranks without being able to guarantee him a future in the short or even medium term.
“McLaren has always been very transparent with me, they made it clear that they would not be an obstacle if I had an opportunity to race in F1,” revealed Bortoleto.
“After my victory in F2, they didn’t have a seat available, Oscar [Piastri] and Lando [Norris] are young, very strong and have long-term contracts. So when they heard about this opportunity at Sauber, they kept their word and released me.”