Gabriel Bortoleto opens up on “very important step” involving Fernando Alonso

Motorsport prodigy Gabriel Bortoleto arrived on the F1 scene in 2025, as the Brazilian was signed by Sauber. Two-time F1 champion and Bortoleto’s mentor, Fernando Alonso, reportedly played a crucial role in the same. The 20-year-old recently came out and opened up about the role the veteran played during his junior Formula career.

Bortoleto had a difficult second year in FR (Formula Regional), where reliability issues led to multiple retirements. However, after putting a strong end to the season, Bortoleto was offered an F3 drive with Trident. Fernando Alonso and his management team, A14 management, signed Bortoleto during the troublesome FR season.

Gabriel Bortoleto has been vocal on the role played by Fernando Alonso in his racing career. The Aston Martin driver was spotted in the Sauber hospitality area a few times during the 2024 season, reportedly negotiating the seat for the Brazilian.

F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Bortoleto won the 2024 F2 championship and was signed by Sauber for 2025 (soon to become Audi). However, in a recent interview, the 20-year-old came out and detailed how Fernando Alonso was always available for the Brazilian, while giving an example from the F3 days. He said,

“Fernando came on board in mid-2022 and it was a very important step, a great added value. In 2023, I arrived in F3 and raced in F1 weekends for the first time. When I entered the circuit for the first time, I realised that I would be racing under the eyes of all the major F1 teams, so I asked Fernando for lots of advice on how to manage the race weekend, the pressure, the expectations, and many other things.” (via Autosport)

“One might think that someone as busy as Alonso wouldn't have time, but I can confirm that he always found it, perhaps sacrificing his breaks, and I find his willingness to help very admirable and, of course, a great added value,” added Bortoleto.

Gabriel Bortoleto moved to Europe at the age of 11 to pursue a career in motorsports. After racing in the karting series for a few years, the Brazilian made the step up to professional single-seater. Bortoleto made his F4 debut in 2020, followed by spending a couple of years in Formula Regional.

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Fernando Alonso's cheeky dig at Gabriel Bortoleto after the Hungarian GP battle

Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto started inside the Top 10 at the Hungarian GP and settled in P5 and P6 after the initial laps. The Brazilian driver tried attacking his mentor throughout the stints, but Alonso had enough pace to contain the threat and bolted away into fresh air.

The battle continued for the entirety of the race and ended as it were, with Alonso finishing ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto. Speaking with F1TV after the race, the Spaniard detailed the positive aspects of scoring a good chunk of points before summer break. Just then, Bortoleto passed his mentor.

The Aston Martin driver noticed and didn't leave the opportunity to take a dig at his protege as he said,

“Yeah, it feels good and we were a lot faster than the Sauber you know,” followed by everyone, includinglAlonso and Bortoleto, sharing a laugh.

Aston Martin currently sits 6th in the championship, while Sauber sits P7, just a point behind the Silverstone-based team.