Kick Sauber have finalised their plans for 2025 with the signing of Gabriel Bortoleto, who becomes the latest driver to be confirmed for next season.
The Brazilian will partner Nico Hulkenberg at the team and is the fourth confirmed driver set to be gearing up for their first full-time F1 campaign, alongside Oliver Bearman (Haas), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Jack Doohan (Alpine). But who is the latest young charger joining the grid?
- NAME: Gabriel Bortoleto
- DATE OF BIRTH: October 14, 2004 (20 years old)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Sao Paulo, Brazil
- HEIGHT: 184cm
- CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2023 Formula 3 champion, 2024 Formula 2 points leader
READ MORE: Kick Sauber confirm rookie Bortoleto as second driver for 2025
Backed by Alonso
Supported by a management firm linked to Fernando Alonso, Bortoleto has enjoyed a rapid ascent up the junior motorsport ladder in recent years, with his two most recent seasons propelling him into the frame for an F1 seat.
Making his single-seater debut in Italian F4 back in 2020, fifth place overall brought promotion to the Formula Regional European Championship for 2021, where he spent two years back-to-back.
However, it was his 2023 season in FIA Formula 3 in which Bortoleto truly caught the eye. He claimed the drivers’ championship as a rookie by putting together a dominant season with Trident.
Consistency across the year formed the foundations to his title-winning effort, after he began the year with consecutive Feature Race wins in Sakhir and Melbourne to establish himself out in front as championship leader.
From that point on, he never lost that early lead, missing out on points only twice across the remaining 14 races en route to the title. He mathematically secured the 2023 crown ahead of the final two races at Monza.
ANALYSIS: Why Sauber chose to go with Bortoleto and youth rather than Bottas and experience
Rookie Bortoleto leads the way in Formula 2
It earned him immediate promotion to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing for 2024, and he currently heads up the field as championship leader going into the final two rounds of the F2 season.
With two race wins and five podiums in total across 2024, Bortoleto is now aiming to join the likes of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri in winning back-to-back titles in F3/GP3 and F2 en route to Formula 1.
Bortoleto’s impressive F3 campaign attracted attention from the F1 paddock, and he was snapped up by McLaren ahead of 2024 to join the team’s Driver Development Programme. Throughout this year, the Brazilian has spent time at Woking and carried out simulator work with the team.
However, as rumours continued to swirl in the driver market around the vacant Sauber seat, Bortoleto emerged as a serious candidate at the Swiss outfit.