McLaren are looking to get Gabriel Bortoleto into the ‘biggest categories’ of motorsport after his recent success in his junior career.
The Brazilian is currently sitting second in the Formula 2 championship, 36 points behind leader Isack Hadjar with four races remaining.
Bortoleto claimed the first title of his career last season in Formula 3, winning by 45 points over Brit Zak O’Sullivan and grabbing two race wins in the process.
The 19-year-old was signed to the McLaren Driver Development Programme after his F3 success and the team are hoping to see him excel in the top divisions of motorsport.
Speaking with Motorsport Brasil, Bortoleto addressed his future with the Woking-based squad and where the team aims to get him.
McLaren want Gabriel Bortoleto to ‘prosper’ in the ‘biggest categories’ of motorsport
Bortoleto has had a successful season thus far in Formula 2, winning in the feature race in Austria and grabbing three second-place finishes.
As with most F2 drivers, Formula 1 is the ultimate aim. But for the Brazilian, it may be a challenge given McLaren’s driver line-up.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both on long-term deals, with an opening at the team not being available until at least 2026.
But Bortoleto says that the team will still look to keep him and get him into other categories if a move to F1 is not possible.
He said: “I can’t open up to something private, we sign private things. But what can I say? Clearly, they want to see my success in any situation where I can prosper in the sport.
“But obviously they will always want to keep me under the McLaren umbrella because they have many categories and many things. But they want to see me prosper in the biggest categories, so let’s see.”
McLaren have several other opportunities for Bortoleto if Formula 1 is not an option
With a move to McLaren in Formula 1 being unlikely for Bortoleto given their exciting driver pairing for the future, the team does have other opportunities in motorsport’s top categories for the Brazilian.
The Woking squad have had great success in IndyCar, with Arrow McLaren housing some top talent in the sport, including Pato O’Ward, who has established himself as a regular title contender.
The car’s high speed and the demanding schedule of street circuits, road courses and ovals would provide an exciting test for the 19-year-old beyond F2.
Furthermore, McLaren are yet to confirm their driver pairing for Season 11 in Formula E. Several ex-Formula 1 drivers race in the all-electric series, such as Nyck de Vries, Stoffel Vandoorne and this season’s Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein.