Flying Under The Radar: Why Gabriel Bortoleto is a top contender for Rookie of the Year

Gabriel Bortoleto ’s rise from karting prodigy to standout F1 rookie with Sauber showcases his resilience, raw talent, and promising future in the sport.

(Image Credit to formula1.com)

Since the start of Formula 1’s 75th season, Gabriel Bortoleto has made his mark, emerging as a dark-horse challenger for Rookie of the Year. Since debuting with Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, Bortoleto has impressed with three points finishes, collecting 14 points—a solid job for a rookie in a car that was dead last the previous season. His career through the feeder series leading up to his debut season in F1 projects a promising future in the sport despite being behind the likes of Visa Cashapp Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli on points. So, to gain a clearer picture behind Sauber’s decision to sign a multi-year contract with the 20-year-old, we must start from the beginning. 

Bortoleto’s hunger for motorsport began when driving his first go-kart at age 6, describing his experience as “one of the best sensations I ever had.” From then on, he has dedicated his life to chasing that same feeling. The São Paulo, Brazilian native formally began his racing career at age 8 by competing in the 2012 Campeonato Sulbrasileiro de Kart where he successfully clinched a third-place finish in the 2018 European and World Championships in the OKJ-category. At age 12, he made the move from the local karting series to Desenzano sul Garda in Italy, where he enjoyed a successful karting career, establishing a strong foundation before transitioning to single-seaters. But it was a journey not without setbacks. 

In 2022, during his second season in Formula Regional, he experienced several problems with the engines, which were kept under wraps from the public eye. From those challenges came an increased sense of resilience with him telling motorsport.com’s Roberto Chinchero, “I put all my energy into the aspects I could improve, I had to gain tenths where possible, and I think I grew. I had confirmation of this when the technical problems were resolved.” Since then, Bortoleto has used those learning experiences to execute race victories in almost every category he has competed in, with an impressive championship win in both FIA F3 and FIA F2 in his rookie season– a rare feat for any rookie. His skill caught the eye of 2 time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, who ultimately signed him to his A14 driver management company. 

Given his track record of outperforming today’s F1 rookies throughout the feeder series, it is perplexing that a driver of Bortoleto’s caliber signed with a team that finished last in the 2024 Constructors’ Standings. This is attributed to complications in the driver market. Being a McLaren junior driver, he was left needing to look outside of the progression within his own team. There was no open seat leading into 2025 for McLaren due to both drivers having long-term contracts after a Constructors’ Championship win. However, joining a back-of-the-grid team presents Bortoleto with a unique opportunity: to develop away from the glare of championship-contending teams while helping Sauber inch closer to the top of the midfield. 

With expectations placed on him compared to rookies in bigger-name teams such as Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli, he is able to slip under the radar when he is outside of the points and is celebrated when well within them. In this slightly less pressurised environment, he has executed impressive runs such as outqualifying 4 time world champion Max Verstappen this season in Hungary. While his teammate Nico Hülkenberg’s surprise Silverstone Podium shows how unpredictable F1 can be, there is little doubt that Gabriel Bortoleto is a serious contender for Rookie of the Year —and a potential future champion– as Sauber becomes Audi F1 Project for 2026 under the guidance of established figures like Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley.

Article Written By Christine Hendrickson