Gabriel Bortoleto says that knowing he was in line for a seat in Formula 1 with Audi helped him to bounce back from a poor start to this year's F2 championship.
Bortoleto won the Formula 3 title in 2023 earning him promotion to F2 in 2024, but he didn't get off to the best start in the feeder series. He was fourth after the first round in Bahrain but failed to score in Jeddah and Melbourne.
That left him down in 12th place after the first three weekends. But by then he was aware that he was in line for eventual promotion to F1 with Audi in 2026, and that gave him the reassurance to bounce back as the season progressed.
He was second in two back-to-back races in Imola and Monaco with Invicta Racing, and claimed his first win in Austria with a second in Monza. He now leads the F2 standings by 4.5 points from Campos Racing's Isack Hadjar.
Regardless of the outcome of the F2 championship, this week Bortoleto was confirmed as moving to Sauber for next year's F1 season where he will be driving alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
“This season didn't start so well so at the beginning,” Bortoleto acknowledged at a press conference this week. "We didn't have any talks or anything about next year.
“But at some point, obviously this season had a turnover. I started winning races and podiums," he said. "This Audi thing started to happen. I don't remember exactly when it did, but then we started talking."
The initial idea was for Bortoleto to join the team when it transitions from Sauber to become the factory Audi squad in 2026. The situation only accelerated in recent weeks, culminating in Wednesday's announcement.
It means that the 20-year-old will be the first full-time Brazilian in F1 since Felipe Massa retired in 2017, but Bortoleto insists that this doesn't mean that he's feeling under any added pressure.
"It's not going to change anything in my life right now, because I already knew that things should happen in the future," he said.
“I'm just going to keep driving the same and doing my job in F2 targeting this championship we're leading right now," he insisted. "But obviously it's very nice to be announced and stop all the speculations and just focus on F2."
In recent months, Bortoleto has been liaising with Sauber boss Mattia Binotto about the future. "He wasn't sure about an experienced driver for next year or a young driver, but the plan was always to be together."
The question was whether "it was for ‘25 or ’26," he explained. “I was quite easy with it. I was not too stressed." Support from his home fans was also a key part of his run to the current lead of the F2 championship.
“Brazil always supported me," he said. "They created a lot of expectations because of my good results in Formula 3, and after we started doing quite well in Formula 2, the expectations also to jump to F1 were high.
“I don't think this somehow dropped my performance or anything," he insisted. "I think it's just got better and better, because it's the type of thing that gives you energy.
“So it's going to be very positive to have the Brazilian fans helping us, supporting us, and just wanting me to perform well in F1 and have a good time there.”
Bortoleto also thanked his manager Fernando Alonso for support developing his career, even though next year they will be rivals on the grid.
“He has been helping me a lot in my journey, teaching me a lot of stuff and supporting me," he said. "I think it will be very fun [racing against him next year] and I will have a good time with him.
“We always joke about it to be honest, because before I was born he started racing in F1, and now I am, I'm getting there. I'm going to drive with him. Hopefully we have a good time in F1 together."
However there's no question it will be a tough start to Bortoleto's time in F1. Sauber is the only team in the championship not to score any points so far this season, and 2025 will be just as difficult.
“We are basically not in a good position right now, but I'm sure we're going to make steps ahead and we're going to be there," Bortoleto insisted. "I'm very positive about it.
“I've seen there's new people coming in, a lot of expectations with obviously my announcement as well here," insisting that the future looked bright for all at Hinwil.
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