May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto (5) talks to a reporter during an interview at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Gabriel Bortoleto Earns the Confidence of Team Principal, Jonathan Wheatley!

Jonathan Wheatley gives his verdict on Gabriel Bortoleto and his 2025 debut season

May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto (5) talks to a reporter during an interview at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Gabriel Bortoleto is among the newest batch of drivers to enter Formula 1. The rookie driver for Sauber is trying his best to get every bit of performance out of his car. He was able to claim his first points in Formula 1 with a P8 finish in June. Gabi is unable to show off his talents to the field due to the lack of pace in his machinery and his own inconsistencies.

Gabriel Bortoleto is mentored by Fernando Alonso. He was the winner of the Formula 2 championship last year. His performance earned him a promotion to Formula 1 in Kick Sauber. Even though, he is not in the best of the teams currently, Bortoleto has been showing steady growth. He regularly takes the fight to his much experiences teammate. As soon as he received the upgrades in Austria, Bortoleto was able to claim points with ease.

Jonathan Wheatley is Confident About Gabriel Bortoleto’s Future in Formula 1

Jonathan Wheatley is overseeing Sauber’s takeover by Audi F1. He has every reason to be happy after their first podium after a decade in the 2025 British GP. While Nico Hulkenberg currently has the spotlight on him, his teammate is being rather overshadowed. It is clear that compared to other rookies, Gabi has not yet produced any magical performance.

Although, it can also be attributed to the fact he is driving one of the slowest cars on the Formula 1 grid. Nevertheless, Gabi has shown the tenacity to stay competitive with multiple Q2 finishes and close results during the race weekend. His efforts have impressed the team which is backing him up to become a great driver in the upcoming years.

Day ✌️ underway @fosgoodwood 💚 pic.twitter.com/ifqnpfelHP
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) July 11, 2025

“Gabi’s on a trajectory that’s going to take him to podiums, wins and anything that he wants, I’m sure, over the course of his career. He’s absolutely on track at the moment with the targets that Mattia and I have talked about. Gabi built up beautifully over the course of the first 12 races and he’s showed an incredibly mature performance at the last race. He’s leaning on his engineers, he’s listening and he’s showing every bit the talent that he is. Every opportunity he has to learn, he’s trying to learn. He’s gracious in his appetite for knowledge and understanding how the team and the car works and how to work with his engineers, and I’ve been hugely encouraged with his maturity in that respect.”

Gabriel Bortoleto’s positive evaluation by his team principal might’ve earned him a contract extension for the upcoming season. However, in order to stay relevant on a young and highly competitive grid like the current one, Gabriel Bortoleto will have bring in some extraordinary stints.

Formula 1 2025 Season

Gabriel Bortoleto

Jonathan Wheatley

Kick Sauber F1

Rohan Singh

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.