Gabriel Bortoleto has been one of the standout drivers in Formula 2 this season. He entered the summer break second in the championship, 36 points behind Isack Hadjar.
Bortleto graduated to F2 with Invicta after winning the Formula 3 title in 2023. He took pole position in his first-ever qualifying session but slipped back to fifth in the Bahrain Feature Race.
The Brazilian set the pace again in qualifying at Imola, and while he couldn’t convert it to victory, he did score a maiden podium. He would follow that up with another in the Monaco Sprint.
Bortleto finally bagged his first win in the Austrian Feature and signed off for the summer with a third runner-up finish of the campaign at Spa. But for a run of three consecutive DNFs in Saudi Arabia and Australia, he could be breathing down Hadjar’s neck at this point.
Oscar Piastri was the last driver to win the F3 and F2 championships in back-to-back seasons, doing so in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Bortoleto has a strong chance of emulating him this year.
The 19-year-old is part of the McLaren driver academy, and while that affords him the backing of one of F1’s most iconic teams, it also poses an issue. Both Piastri and Lando Norris have committed to long-term contracts, which effectively closes that door.
Gabriel Bortoleto says Ayrton Senna family gave blessing for special helmet
Bortoleto has been wearing an Ayrton Senna tribute helmet since the races in Emilia Romagna in May. Senna is one of the greatest Brazilian athletes of all time and is widely regarded as one of the best to ever race in F1.
Senna won three world championships during his career, racking up 41 wins and 65 pole positions in the process. He died after a fatal crash at Imola 30 years ago at the age of just 34.
Originally, Bortoleto only planned to run his helmet at that venue, as well as Monaco. That was a mark of respect in the period around the anniversary.
But he’s now decided to don the colours for the remainder of the season instead. This comes after he received the blessing of the Senna family.
“It’s amazing,” he told the official Formula 2 website. “They (not only said I could wear it, but they were very happy. I spoke to Bruno and other members of the family, and they were taking pictures of the helmet and were super, super happy with it.
“It’s nice to wear his colours but it’s also nice to have that support from the Senna family knowing that I’m wearing their logo and the colours of him. It’s super nice and I’m very thankful.”
Audi F1 team linked with surprise move for Gabriel Bortoleto
In recent years, many of the drivers who have shone in F2 have been denied a promotion to the top tier. That includes the last two champions Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire.
If Bortoleto wants to avoid the same fate, he may need to leave the McLaren academy. Any external suitor would likely have to buy him out of his contract.
According to Formu1a.uno, new Audi boss Mattia Binotto is showing an interest in the 19-year-old. The German manufacturer, who will take control of Sauber in 2026, are still yet to name their partner for Nico Hulkenberg.
Given that they’ve already secured one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, they may be inclined to place their faith in a rookie for the second seat. But it’s unclear whether Bortoleto will be available to them.