The 2025 F1 season has been a showcase of emerging talent, but for F1 veteran Fernando Alonso, one rookie stands head and shoulders above the rest: Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
At just 20 years old, the Brazilian is enjoying an impressive debut season in the sport, and his mentor, who also manages him through the A14 Management company, is unequivocal in his praise.
Bortoleto, paired with veteran Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber, has brought a spark to a team gearing up for its transformation into Audi’s factory outfit in 2026.
The young Brazilian’s journey to F1 has been meteoric. After clinching the Formula 3 title in 2023 and the Formula 2 championship in 2024 – both in his rookie seasons, just like McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – he arrived at Sauber with sky-high expectations.
Now, 12 races into his F1 career, Bortoleto sits 19th in the drivers’ standings with four points, a modest tally that belies the impact he’s made. His standout moment came at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he battled fiercely with Alonso, securing his first championship points with an eighth-place finish.
Alonso’s High Praise
Alonso, who co-founded A14 Management along with two of his business associates, has been a guiding force in Bortoleto’s career, and his belief in his protégé’s talent was cemented even before his entry into F1.
©Sauber
“In Abu Dhabi [in Formula 2], I thought that he was the best of this generation,” Alonso explained at Silverstone earlier this month quoted by RaceFans. .
“He won Formula 3 as a rookie, he won Formula 2 as a rookie. No testing with older version of cars, no TPC [Testing with Previous Cars] programmes, no nothing.”
Alonso sees Bortoleto’s potential as transcendent, even in a challenging Sauber car.
“Coming to Formula 1 and still delivering an incredible job… some others may have better packages and things like that, maybe some others will achieve success before he does, but eventually over the long term he will always come out as the best of this generation,” the Spaniard said.
“The proof was when the cars were all the same in the previous categories.”
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The F1 veteran also credited Bortoleto and Hülkenberg for revitalizing Sauber.
“Now even with a team that was struggling last year, I think between him and Nico they’ve managed to bring new motivation and the team is also improving.
“So far, it’s an incredible job what he’s doing… but he’s still behind me…” Alonso added with a playful jab, underscoring their competitive dynamic.
A Thrilling Duel in Austria
The Austrian Grand Prix offered a glimpse of this unique mentor-protégé rivalry. In the race’s closing stages, Bortoleto hounded Alonso’s Aston Martin, leveraging his DRS to close the gap.
The duel was a respectful yet intense display of skill, with the rookie pushing the veteran to the limit. However, blue flags for race leader Lando Norris disrupted Bortoleto’s challenge on the final lap, allowing Alonso to hold position.
“It was good,” Alonso said of their battle. “I was lucky there, with the blue flags. I think without the blue flags I had no chance to keep him behind for another two or three corners – that was my maximum ‘life’ available, there. And then with the blue flags, I gained that extra half-a-lap.”
Alonso relished the moment, noting its familiarity. “And then also thanks to the blue flag, it was the final lap of the race and we saw the chequered flag, so it was a good combination for me,” he said.
“But the fight was good. A couple of corners side-by-side, always with respect. We’ve driven a couple of times already like that in go-karts and in simulators when we do sessions together and things like that, so it was a replica of that.”
The Spaniard couldn’t resist a touch of pride: “This time I crossed the line first, so that gives me some satisfaction.”
A Bright Future Ahead
Bortoleto’s eighth-place finish in Austria marked Sauber’s first double-points haul of 2025, with Hülkenberg finishing ninth, and helped lift the Swiss outfit to sixth in the Cconstructors’ standings.
For Alonso, it’s further evidence of Bortoleto’s ability to extract the maximum from his machinery, a trait he believes will define the Brazilian’s career.
©Sauber
As Sauber prepares for its Audi era, the Brazilian’s early promise suggests he could be a cornerstone of their future ambitions.
While other rookies like Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman have garnered attention, Alonso remains steadfast: Bortoleto is the standout of his generation. With a mentor like the two-time world champion in his corner and an indisputable work ethic, Bortoleto is poised to carve out a legacy of his own in Formula 1.
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