Written by Tiana Soans, Edited by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina
Gabriel Bortoleto’s journey in motorsport has been marked by talent and persistence. The Brazilian driver has steadily built a reputation as one of the brightest prospects in junior single-seater racing. With the McLaren junior in line for a Formula One seat in the future, let’s take a look at his junior career thus far.
Karting Roots
Bortoleto started karting in his home country of Brazil in 2012 in the Campeonato Sul Brasileiro de Kart. The Brazilian driver was able to progress through the karting stages until 2019, with his most successful year coming in 2018.
He finished third in the European and World Championships of karting. This ultimately set many eyes on the junior driver, as the results showcased a promising talent.
Lower Formula Success
In 2020, Bortoleto made his single-seater debut in the Italian Formula 4 Championship, renowned as one of Europe’s most competitive junior series. Driving for the dominant feeder series team PREMA, he was able to quickly impress many with his ability to adapt to the demands of the championship. This led him to finish sixth in the standings.
The highlight of the season came in Race 2 at Mugello, with the Brazilian earning pole position and his first ever single-seater win. Bortoleto was able to finish the 2020 season with five podiums, and overall fifth in the championship standings.
His stellar Italian F4 campaign paved the way for him to gain further recognition by other teams, notably MP Motorsport.
In 2021, Bortoleto made the step up to the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) with FA Racing by MP Motorsport. Bortoleto did struggle during his rookie season, only finishing on the podium once, compared to his five podiums the year before in Italian F4. His best finish of 2021 came at the Red Bull Ring, where he showed strong pace and racecraft, finishing in the top five.
His second season in the category proved to be a telling sign of his potential as he was able to win in Belgium and Spain, and featured on the podium for five times. This was enough for a promotion to the Formula 3 category in 2023.
Formula 3 Success
Formula 3 was the real showcase of Bortoleto’s talent and skills, as the category served as a curtain raiser to Formula 1. In the first race weekend of the season, the Brazilian was able to put his Trident car onto P1 during the feature race in Bahrain, staking his claim as a championship contender in 2023.
As the season progressed, Bortoleto was able to continue his dominance in the championship and pick up six podiums alongside an additional feature race victory in Melbourne. With the championship coming down to the final race in Monza, Bortoleto was able to secure pole position on Friday, sealing the championship title. Winning the title in his rookie season, also previously achieved by current F1 driver Oscar Piastri, was a major accomplishment for his junior career.
This victory ultimately had Formula 1 teams setting their sights on the Brazilian, especially as he had not yet been backed by a team at this stage of his career. He went on to be part of the McLaren Driver Development programme, in the hopes of providing him with an opportunity to learn and grow with the papaya team, and be placed on a similar trajectory to that of Lando Norris.
Formula 2 impending
Following his dominant 2023 campaign in F3, Bortoleto was promoted to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing. The team that was home to future F1 driver Jack Doohan proved promising at several points throughout the season thus far.
Bortoleto now sits second in the championship, going for a feat not done since Oscar Piastri: winning F3 and F2 titles back-to-back in a driver's rookie season. With four rounds left and after a stunning last-to-first victory in Monza, it seems to be not out of reach yet.
As of the Monza round, he has claimed five podiums and two race wins. With only a ten-point deficit to Isack Hadjar in a championship that is as unpredictable as F2, anything is possible.
Potential Formula 1 Campaign
Bortoleto has been rumoured to be in contention for the only remaining Sauber seat in Formula 1. With such an illustrious resume in the junior categories and drivers such as two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso backing him to enter Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport may see a new Brazilian driver on the grid come 2025.
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