Why it is time for everyone to put some respect on Gabriel Bortoleto’s name

Fernando Alonso believes Gabriel Bortoleto did not get the recognition he deserves after Hungary. He is right.

That in fact, it can be argued, is true for the Brazilian’s rookie Formula 1 campaign so far. The reigning Formula 2 Champion seems to have gone under the radar since joining the F1 grid, yet his performances have been worthy of far greater applause. He has been the rookie MVP.

Gabriel Bortoleto: We need to sit up and take notice

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Bortoleto sits under the Alonso learning tree as part of his A14 Management firm, mentorship which has clearly paid off. What Bortoleto achieved in Hungary was brilliant.

Putting his Sauber seventh on the grid, Bortoleto raced on to a P6 finish, crossing the line one position behind his mentor. Alonso felt the reaction to the young Brazilian’s result was underwhelming to say the least.

“He commits few errors, always putting pressure,” said Alonso of Bortoleto, when speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com. “He’s the best rookie of this generation.

“If he was English, or something, and finished sixth in a Sauber, he’d be in all the news.

“What he does is exceptional.”

Bortoleto came into F1 2025 as perhaps the least talked-about rookie. Perhaps surprising as he won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles back-to-back like multi-time grand prix winners George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri did.

But alas, Sauber were not expected to pull up any trees. That limits the amount of coverage a driver gets.

However, since the arrival of Jonathan Wheatley as team boss, Sauber has thrived, and Bortoleto has been along for the ride. He has scored points in three of his last four grands prix, P6 in Hungary the crown jewel achievement.

That weekend, he put Nico Hulkenberg in the shade. That is quite the achievement for any driver, never mind a Formula 1 rookie, who has had to stick it out through the trials and tribulations of Sauber’s early F1 2025 woes, to come out the other side, unbroken.

Hulkenberg’s long-awaited first F1 podium scored at Silverstone was ridiculously overdue, such is his talent, and Bortoleto already is growing into quite the inter-team rival, having crossed the line ahead of Hulkenberg in three of the latest four grands prix.

Quite simply, it is time we start to put some respect on Gabriel Bortoleto’s name.

Latest F1 2025 head-to-head standings from PlanetF1.com

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Sauber know the talent they have on their hands in the 20-year-old Brazilian. He is not disappointing.

Speaking about the Hulkenberg and Bortoleto pairing at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Wheatley told the media, including PlanetF1.com: “I have to say that it’s the closest, most collaborative driver pairing, I think I can even remember in all my time in Formula 1.

“Gabriel has a fantastic work ethic. He has a capacity for taking on new information. He’s proving every way to be the future star that we expected him to be, and Nico is part of that journey with him.

“On the other side of the engineering table, you’ve got this extraordinary experience and Nico’s proven talent.”

While the rookie of the season on many pair of lips is Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto is on his way to that award.

Audi F1 are in safe hands next year with Bortoleto and Hulkenberg at the wheel.

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