Gabriel Bortoleto talks about Fernando Alonso and his role in his career
Gabriel Bortoleto is racing for Kick Sauber in the 2025 Formula 1 season. His rookie season is far from ideal in comparison to his peers. Bortoleto is yet to secure a point in the 2025 season. His championship winning campaign in 2024 last year earned him a seat in Sauber for the current season. However, Gabi is facing a severely underperforming car in his debut season.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s mentor is racing alongside him in the 2025 season. Gabi is a part of A14 which is a driver management program headed by Aston Martin ace Fernando Alonso. Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto are facing a similar season in their respective teams. However, the two drivers have hardly raced against each other in the current season. In a recent interview, Gabriel Bortoleto was seen explaining the significance of his mentor in his F1 career.
Gabriel Bortoleto is no pushover. He won back to back titles in Formula 2 and Formula 3 before joining Formula 1. However, he was struggling badly before making his breakthrough in F3. It was Alonso who helped Gabi secure a seat with a competitive team in Formula 3. Gabriel Bortoleto got connected to Fernando Alonso courtesy of his father. Gabi was in need of a manager and Fernando was creating A14.
Talking about Fernando’s role Gabriel says-
“He saved my career in the sense of maybe without him I wouldn’t have been in the team I was in Formula 3. And if I was not in that team, who knows if I was going to win the championship or not. That’s the question mark. So in that sense he has helped me a lot. He was the guy that gave me those opportunities to be in those teams.”
Bortoleto also talks about the racing advice given to him by Fernando Alonso. Alonso has the reputation of being a fierce competitor on the grid. He wanted Gabi to get the best out of every car, asking to deliver beyond the scope of his machinery. Gabriel and Fernando Alonso rarely talk in Formula 1. Bortoleto attributes this gap to their busy schedules in F1. The two drivers share a common hero in Formula 1- Ayrton Senna. Bortoleto will have to rely on his talents more often than not in the current season. His stars may align for good in the upcoming season when Audi takeover Sauber.
