Gabriel Bortoleto will become the first Brazilian Formula 1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017 when he makes his debut for Sauber.
The 2023 FIA F3 champion has had a successful junior career, winning the title before transitioning seamlessly to Formula 2.
Bortoleto is leading the championship by four and a half points over Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar with two rounds to go.
He will be under pressure to compete against the highly experienced Nico Hulkenberg to push Sauber forward before they become Audi in 2026.
Sauber’s new driver had a very impressive championship-winning year with Trident in F3, and Felix Gorner told sport.de that one aspect of that year helped Bortoleto get to Formula 1.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s ‘ability to be fast’ immediately helped convince Sauber to sign him
Throughout the junior categories on the road to Formula 1, adapting quickly on a race weekend with limited track time is vital.
Some series, such as FIA F3 and Formula 2, have just one practice session before moving straight into qualifying, which makes adapting to the track quickly very important.
Bortoleto’s speed throughout the 2023 FIA F3 season led him to the championship. The Pirelli tyres are also notoriously difficult to grasp, but the Brazilian managed.
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These qualities should serve him well in F1, where tyre management over a Grand Prix distance is vital to maintaining a consistent pace. Bortoleto has also shown encouraging signs ahead of moving to Sauber, such as his ability to immediately be fast in new series.
Gorner said: “He has the ability to be fast right from the start. The data speaks for him. That was already the case in Formula 3. He came in there in 2023, was fast straight away and became champion straight away.”
Gabriel Bortoleto is looking to clinch the 2024 Formula 2 title
Bortoleto has driven well this season after recovering from a point-less slump in Saudi Arabia and Australia earlier in the year.
He took a superb victory in the Feature Race at Monza, starting from 22nd on the grid for Invicta Racing. Bortoleto did have some luck with the timing of a Safety Car but earned valuable championship points.
As he has now secured a seat in Formula 1 for the 2025 season, there may be less pressure on Bortoleto to usurp Hadjar to the F2 title.
But despite his future being secured, winning the FIA F3 and F2 titles back-to-back would allow him to emulate Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri before Bortoleto faces them in Formula 1.