Confirmed for the next F1 season as a driver for the Sauber team, Gabriel Bortoleto, 20, won the F2 World Cup title this Sunday (8). The Brazilian was on the podium in the last race of the season, finishing in second place in Abu Dhabi, and assured himself of winning the championship with some ease.
Argentine Isack Hadjar, the Brazilian’s only direct competitor, ended up stuck at the start and had to receive help to return to the pits. As a result, he fell to last place and was unable to recover to prevent Gabriel’s conquest.
“A lot of people suspected that I wouldn’t make it when I was in FRECA, but I won F3 and F2 in a row. We don’t give up, we’re a people who overcome any barrier. Thank you to everyone who helps and supports me, this title is for you. This shows how strong Brazil is, and I will represent you again in F1”, said the champion.
Bortoleto will be the first Brazilian driver in F1 since 2017, the year in which Felipe Massa left the competition. The now F2 champion’s first contact with the Swiss team’s car will be in post-season testing, again in Abu Dhabi.
The São Paulo native is seen as one of the promising talents in motor sports. F3 champion in 2023, he gained a chance in F2 in 2024, the main category for access to F1, and did not disappoint. A driver for the Invicta Racing team, which is supported by McLaren, he had good consistency throughout the World Cup and even won the title in the last race.
Brazil’s newest representative in the main motorsport category had a meteoric rise on the tracks. He began his karting career at the age of seven and debuted in formula cars in 2020. He went through Italian F4 and European Regional Formula (FRECA) before reaching F3 in 2023.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. So much adrenaline, joy, everyone is here supporting me, all of Brazil watching me at 6 am. I managed to return that joy on a Sunday morning. It’s a I’m dreaming, it’s spectacular. I’m not thinking much, I’m in another dimension”, celebrated the pilot.
