Fernando Alonso backs F1 rookie to emerge as "the best of his generation"

Halfway into the 2025 Formula 1 season, where the rookie class is filled with promise, Fernando Alonso has already made his pick for the standout star. Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar may be grabbing headlines with podiums and points, it's Gabriel Bortoleto who has the unwavering backing of the Spaniard.

The 20-year-old Sauber driver has shown composure, and in Alonso's eyes, that makes him a generational talent in the making. The Brazilian arrived in F1 with the unique distinction of winning both the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships in his rookie season. He beat Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar to the F2 crown in a pressure-filled finale at Abu Dhabi just last year.

F2 Drivers Champion Gabriel Bortoleto (C), Isack Hadjar (R), and Paul Aron during the 2024 FIA Awards. Source: Getty

Slotted into the transitioning Sauber team, which will morph into Audi's factory outfit by 2026, Bortoleto entered F1 with high expectations. He's also under the tutelage of Alonso's driver management team, A14, adding an extra layer to the connection. 12 races in, Bortoleto has scored just four points, sitting 19th in the standings. But it's not the numbers that have impressed Alonso.

When asked about Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso told reporters (via GP Blog):

"Very good but no surprises at all. Last year in Abu Dhabi, I think that he is the best of this generation. He won Formula 3 as a rookie, he won Formula 2 as a rookie."

That's high praise in a season where the rookies have shown legitimate depth. At just 18, Kimi Antonelli was thrown into a pressure cooker seat at Mercedes, one vacated by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. And he hasn't faded.

Antonelli already has 63 points, secured a sprint pole in Miami, and even stood on the Grand Prix podium in Canada. He's also reached Q3 nine times. Still, he trails teammate George Russell in every single race and all but one qualifying session, which reflects how much further he has to climb.

Meanwhile, Hadjar is making a name for himself as well. The Frenchman has 21 points, thrice the combined tally of his two RB teammates across the year. He has bagged 58% of the team's total points, the highest share by any rookie this season. If Antonelli has the best car, Hadjar is proving himself the most efficient of all rookies.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, and Oliver Bearman during the Chinese GP previews. Source: Getty

Oliver Bearman's season at Haas has flown under the radar, but the Ferrari junior has impressed too. With six points, he has split the qualifying battle 6-6 with Esteban Ocon and has trailed him by less than six-hundredths per lap, the second lowest among rookies. Still, none of this shifts Fernando Alonso's belief.

"No testing with older versions of cars, no TPC (Testing Previous Cars) programmes, no nothing. Coming to Formula 1, still delivering an incredible job. Some others, they have maybe better packages and things like that, maybe some others will achieve success before he does, but eventually over the long term he will always come as the best of this generation," he added.

And yet, not every rookie story has unfolded as planned. Jack Doohan, once billed as Alpine's future, was replaced after just six rounds. Franco Colapinto hasn't fared much better.

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Fernando Alonso sees Gabriel Bortoleto's fingerprints all over Sauber's revival

Gabriel Bortoleto with Fernando Alonso after the 2023 F3 Round 1:Sakhir Feature race. Source: Getty

Gabriel Bortoleto's quiet surge is happening in parallel with Kick Sauber's sudden transformation from backmarkers to podium threats. The team went through a barren stretch early in the season, apart from Nico Hulkenberg's P7 in Melbourne.

But upgrades in Spain (Round 9) changed the team's trajectory. Since then, Sauber has scored points in every race. Austria brought a double points haul, and Silverstone delivered the German veteran's first-ever F1 podium in a thrilling P3 drive. Fernando Alonso added humorously:

"Now even with a team that was struggling last year, I think between him and Nico they managed to bring new motivation and the team is also improving. So far it's an incredible job what he's doing. But he's still behind me."

Kick Sauber is now P6 in the Constructors’ standings with 41 points, just 18 behind Williams. Alonso's Aston Martin is down in P8 with 36 points. The Spaniard himself is 14th in the drivers’ standings with 16 points, while Bortoleto sits five spots back with four.

Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Max Verstappen before the F1 Grand Prix of Canada. Source: Getty

Where Fernando Alonso once mentored a young Charles Leclerc, and later offered advice to George Russell and Lando Norris, his endorsement of Bortoleto carries a different weight - it's also personal.