Who is Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know about Kick Sauber’s new recruit

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.

How McLaren-backed Bortoleto found his way into a seat at Sauber

Following F1’s return from the summer break, Bortoleto was named as a potential team mate to Hulkenberg despite Valtteri Bottas having been favourite to extend his time with them.

Sauber’s interest in signing Bortoleto appeared to be contingent on their ability to secure his services on a long-term basis, rather than any loan arrangement from McLaren.

Ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, that confirmation looked to have arrived. McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella revealed that the British outfit would not prevent Bortoleto from reaching F1 if an opportunity did arise with another team.

Max Verstappen also gave his views after being asked ahead of the race weekend in Brazil who he’d pick for the vacant Sauber seat. He tipped the F2 championship leader as his driver of choice for Sauber, while McLaren’s own Oscar Piastri also paid tribute to the Brazilian’s performances.

READ MORE: ‘I’d have signed him already’ – Verstappen reveals who he’d choose for Sauber seat in 2025

The Australian reflected on his own F2 and F3 stints in comparison to Bortoleto, adding that he too felt the Sao Paulo native was deserving of an F1 promotion in 2025, rather than enduring a spell waiting on the sidelines.

With Invicta, Bortoleto has continued to impress following on from his F3 title-winning campaign, and after a tricky start to life in F2, has gone from strength to strength.

He has delivered a level of consistency rivals have struggled to match, failing to score points just twice since Round 4 back in Imola, a patch of form reminiscent of his run to the F3 title.

His latest victory in the Monza Feature Race stands out as his most extraordinary, as he went from P22 and last on the grid to the top step, taking over the lead of the championship in the process.

F2: Bortoleto reigns in Monza as he goes from last to first in Feature Race

With two rounds remaining in F2, Bortoleto holds a 4.5-point advantage over Red Bull Junior Team driver and title rival Isack Hadjar.

The pair look set to fight all the way to the final round in Abu Dhabi for the 2024 crown.