The youngest F1 driver said this Wednesday (6) that he is looking forward to racing with the oldest on the grid. This is Sauber’s rookie, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, ready to join his manager Fernando Alonso, who will continue to defy age next season.
Brazilian Bortoleto, 20, is one of the main talents of the management company A14 — founded by two-time world champion Alonso, who drives for Aston Martin and will turn 44 in July 2025, with more than 400 grand prizes under his belt.
“We always joke about it, to be honest, because before I was born he was already racing in F1,” said the current F3 champion and F2 leader.
“And now I’m getting there, I’ll drive with him, I hope,” said the Brazilian. “He’s obviously helped me a lot on my journey, he’s been teaching me a lot of things and supporting me. I think it’ll be a lot of fun, I’ll have fun with him.”
Sauber boss Mattia Binotto was at Ferrari when Alonso raced for the Italian team between 2010 and 2014, but said the Spaniard was not directly involved in discussions about Bortoleto’s future.
“We met in the paddock, but he never influenced, never really tried to come to me with convincing arguments,” said the Italian. “I think what convinced me was Gabriel and nothing else. With Fernando, I talked about the subject once, but very little.”
Bortoleto was one of several candidates for the position. The choice ended up being between him and Finn Valtteri Bottas, 35, who had agreed to stay before Sauber decided to opt for youth.
Sauber will become Audi’s factory team in 2026, and Binotto said starting that journey with a young driver was important. Bortoleto, a driver from McLaren’s training program, was a natural choice.
According to him, there was no compensation paid to McLaren, which has first-choice drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris under long-term contracts.
“What he has achieved, what he is achieving, the way he is driving, all of this has impressed me. But more than that, it is his ability to develop, improve and progress throughout the season itself,” said Binotto about the Brazilian. “I think he is one of the most talented and potential drivers we have among the rookies, and for Audi that was a differentiator.”
Bortoleto will be the first Brazilian to have a full-time seat on the F1 grid since Felipe Massa, who also started with Sauber and retired in 2017. He will have a needy fan base waiting for him.
“It’s the kind of thing that you know gives you energy,” he said. “I think it will be very positive to have the Brazilian fans helping us and supporting us and just wanting me to do well in F1.”
