Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto is a Brazilian driver, born on October 14, 2004 in São Paulo. He competes in Formula 1 with Audi for the 2026 season after having been part of the McLaren Driver Development program.

Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi No. 5. © DPPI

Gabriel Bortoleto made his single-seater debut in 2020 in the Italian Formula 4 championship with Prema Powerteam alongside Sebastián Montoya, Gabriele Minì and Dino Beganovic. He finished fifth overall with 5 podiums, including a first victory at the Mugello circuit and finished fourth in the rookie standings. The following year, in 2021, the Brazilian made his debut in FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine) with FA Racing, the team created by F1 world champion Fernando Alonso and scored his first points in the first race of the season at Imola, finishing ninth.

For his second season in FRECA, he joined R-ace GP and achieved five podium finishes, including two victories, which propelled him to seventh place in the drivers' standings. The Brazilian was invited to participate in the FIA ​​Formula 3 post-season tests at Jerez with Trident and became the first driver announced for the 2023 season. The São Paulo native joined the championship with the Italian team alongside Oliver Goethe and Leonardo Fornaroli. At the end of the year, he secured the FIA ​​Formula 3 championship title thanks to his consistent performance and joined the McLaren Driver Development program.

Gabriel Bortoleto is the 2023 Formula 3 champion. © Sebastian Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency / DPPI

The Paulista then arrives in Formula 2 at Invicta Racing for the 2024 season. He becomes the partner of Kush Maini. During an unpredictable season with 18 different winners out of the 25 entered, the championship was played until the last round neck and neck with Paul Aron and especially Isack Hadjar for Gabriel Bortoleto. Finally, it was the Brazilian who won over Hadjar, who stalled at the lights out during the last race of the season. He becomes the first driver to win the titles in F3 and F2 in his first year since Oscar Piastri (in 2020 and 2021).

Gabriel Bortoleto, F2 champion in 2024. © Sebastian Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency / DPPI

Bortoleto made his first laps in a Formula 1 car, the MCL36, during a test organised by McLaren at the Red Bull Ring in 2024. After being graciously released from his obligations with the Woking team, the 2 F2024 champion will join the grid in 2025, partnering Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber. He will participate in the transition with Audi, since the German manufacturer will take control of the team from the 2026 season. For the moment, the Brazilian has only been able to take part in the post-season tests with his future family, completing 130 laps. The challenge promises to be a big one for the rookie who arrives at a team that came last in 2024 and has only managed to score four points from the 24 races on the calendar.

Gabriel Bortoleto during post-season testing with Sauber in 2024. © DPPI

The 2025 season marked Gabriel Bortoleto's Formula 1 debut with Sauber, alongside Nico Hülkenberg. In a team consistently at the back of the grid, the Brazilian adopted a gradual approach, focused on learning and consistency. He quickly distinguished himself by his ability to avoid mistakes and complete clean races, a key element in a relatively uncompetitive car. His first points finishes came at the Austrian Grand Prix, after a start to the season hampered by the car's lack of performance.

As the season progressed, Bortoleto gained confidence, particularly in qualifying where he gradually closed the gap to his experienced teammate. While unable to consistently challenge for a top-10 finish, he established himself as a reliable and valuable driver in the team's development, particularly during the transition to Audi. He finished his first season 19th in the Drivers' Championship with 19 points, his best result being a sixth-place finish in Hungary. With several solid results considering the available equipment, he laid the groundwork for the expected progress in 2026, where the challenge will be to take the next step in a project undergoing significant transformation.

Revealed late, Bortoleto has always known how to maximize his opportunities in high-performance teams. He only really took off in F3 when he won the title. While he didn't pocket many victories, his consistency proved to be his greatest strength. Even if he is capable of having great bursts of speed, the margin for improvement remains enormous for the new hope of the Brazilian people.

• Two contenders, half a point: Bortoleto/Hadjar, the beginnings of an already thrilling final
• Bortoleto will have to deal with the pressure of an entire country, warns Barrichello
• Isack Hadjar – Gabriel Bortoleto: the duel of opposing destinies
• The list of entrants for 2025 updated, Bortoleto's number known
• Bortoleto relieved to have a F1 seat from 2025: "I didn't want to go a year without driving"
• F1 2025 Review – The Curio: Gabriel Bortoleto
• Gabriel Bortoleto, mission master of the place
• F1 2026 Guide – Does Gabriel Bortoleto have broad enough shoulders?