Gabriel Bortoleto is set to make his Formula 1 debut with Stake Sauber F1 Team in 2025, following a meteoric rise through the junior categories.
The 20-year-old Brazilian arrives in F1 after clinching back-to-back FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in his rookie seasons—an achievement that underscores his potential. Now, as he prepares for the biggest challenge of his career, Bortoleto acknowledges that the hard work is only just beginning.
"I’m feeling very good," he said. "It’s my first season in Formula 1, and it’s a dream come true. When you are young, you dream of reaching F1, but you don’t know what the chances actually are. You just have to perform in the junior series and hope to earn your spot there.
“I think I did a pretty good job in the junior categories, winning the F3 and F2 championships," Bortoleto added. "Now, being in Formula 1 is a huge achievement, but it’s really just the beginning.
"This is where the real work starts. Now, I’m competing with the best, with the big guys, and I have to work incredibly hard to be at their level.
"The biggest thing for me in Formula 1 is that everything is new. There is so much happening, and the scale is completely different from what I was used to.
"There are a lot more team members involved—around 1,000 people working behind the scenes to keep just two cars running on track.
Bortoleto: I am simple, I just try to do my best every single day
“For me, it’s about understanding what each part of the team does, getting involved with them, and working as hard as I can. Formula 1 is more complex than F2 and F3, with more tools and systems to manage.
"You have to play with the car setup a lot more and develop a deeper technical understanding," Bortoleto pointed out. "That’s something I have been focusing on since the very first post-season test in Abu Dhabi, pushing myself to be as prepared as possible for the first test and the start of the season."
The Sauber rookie claims he has a very simple and straightforward approach to success, he continued: “I work very hard toward my goals and everything I want to achieve.
"I give everything I have because racing is my life. Honestly, it’s all I think about—there is never really a break. Even on holidays, my focus is still on racing, improving myself, and developing my driving.
"I would describe myself as a very dedicated person, always pushing to do more. But at the same time, I’m not complicated—I’m simple. I just try to do my best, every single day. You just jump in and try to adapt to the Formula One world, doing the best you can.
"In F2 and F3, I focused on learning as much as possible—about the car, new techniques, and anything that could one day help me in F1. But my mindset was always on the present. When I was in F3, my only focus was F3. Then in F2, it was all about F2.
"I believe that if you start thinking too far ahead, you lose focus on where you are. Over the years, preparation has become something that came naturally to me.
"Now, we will see during the season if all that work pays off," Bortoleto reckoned.
Bortoleto: No challenges just embracing every moment
Despite his huge success in the junior categories, being in F1 is a totally different game with different and more difficult challenges but Bortoleto is unperturbed; he said: “So far, there hasn’t been a part that felt hard.
"I have just been enjoying everything. I have been doing a lot of new things that I wasn’t used to before, but it’s all part of the experience. No challenges, just embracing every single moment.
“I am proud to be in Formula 1," he admitted. "Of course, the season is long: I have heard from many people that it takes a strong mindset to stay consistent and keep progressing throughout the year.
"That’s why I think it’s so important to stay mentally strong, keep learning, and just focus on steady improvement. In a long season, that’s what really matters.”
As for the targets he is setting for his debut F1 season, Bortoleto said: "Obviously, it’s my rookie season, and there is so much development happening in Formula 1—both over the winter and throughout the season.
"You never really know how good the other teams will be, so it’s difficult to set a specific result as a target. Of course, I would love to be fighting with the guys at the front, but we know how tough it is to win races or get podiums.
"Right now, that is probably not a realistic expectation, but I am going to give my best to improve both the car and myself," he maintained, referring to the current struggles of Sauber who finished last in the 2024 F1 constructors' championship.
Bortoleto will join F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber in 2025, and he is keen on benefiting from that, learning as much as he could from his teammate.
Learning from Hulkenberg and building for the future with Audi
And with Sauber morphing into Audi in 2026, there is a lot that Bortoleto has to deal with; he said: "My main goal is to adapt as quickly as possible, get up to speed, and keep learning throughout the season.
"There are drivers on the grid with more than 20 years of experience—something I don’t have yet. I know I can’t match that overnight, but I need to catch up in any way I can.
"As for results, I believe that if you do everything right—focus on improving, keep progressing, and work on development—the results will come naturally as a consequence of that effort," he insisted.
Of 37-year-old Hulkenberg, his first F1 teammate, 20-year-old Bortoleto said: “Nico is clearly a very good driver with extensive experience in Formula 1, having been part of the sport for many years. His wealth of knowledge, particularly about car handling and improvement throughout the season.
"This is something I am eager to learn from. I’m looking forward to gaining insights from him, and I am curious to see just how much he can share to help me develop and grow as a driver.
"When the chance to join Formula 1 comes along, you take it," Bortoleto continued. "But when Sauber and the transition to the Audi F1 Project became an option, it felt like a dream come true.
"Not only am I getting my first opportunity in Formula 1, but I am also joining a team with a strong vision for the future. Audi has a history of success in every motorsport series they have entered, and their ambitions in Formula 1 are no different.
"Being one of their first drivers in this new chapter is an incredible honour, and I am truly grateful for the trust they have placed in me," he said.
Carrying Brazil’s legacy in Formula 1
With Bortoleto joining the grid in 2025, this would be the first time F1 has a Brazilian driver on the grid since Felipe Massa retired in 2017, which is a big deal for the country that gave F1 champions like Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and the most famous of them all, the great Ayrton Senna.
Bortoleto commented: "Joining Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber is an incredible opportunity for me. Over the years, we have seen many Brazilian drivers join this team and go on to have remarkable careers—Felipe Massa being a prime example, and what Felipe Nasr achieved here was also impressive.
"Representing my country after such a long wait for a Brazilian driver in Formula 1 is something I take great pride in. It feels like the beginning of an exciting journey.”
Born in São Paulo on 14 October 2004, Bortoleto started karting at an early age, winning multiple national and international championships. He moved into single-seaters in 2020, racing in Italian F4 before progressing to the Formula Regional European Championship.
Bortoleto 's breakthrough came in FIA Formula 3 in 2023, where he won the championship in his rookie season. He repeated the feat in FIA Formula 2 in 2024, securing back-to-back titles before earning his promotion to Formula 1 with Stake F1 Team Sauber in 2025.
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