Why Gabriel Bortoleto is the F1 prodigy Brazil has been waiting for

For the first time in eight years, a Brazilian will race at Interlagos in the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto is the prodigy the country has been waiting for.

Since 2017, no Brazilian driver has had a full-time seat, only Pietro Fittipaldi replaced an injured Romain Grosjean during the final weekends of 2020 after the Frenchman’s horror crash in Bahrain.

Many current drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, have connections to the country, but Bortoleto will now have the chance to enjoy Interlagos with the full backing of the home crowd — something not seen since Felipe Massa.

Bortoleto at this year's US Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

Is Bortoleto the perfect prodigy?

Coming off winning the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in back-to-back seasons, Bortoleto has already impressed in his debut year with Sauber.

He achieved his best career result at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished sixth. Together with Nico Hulkenberg, the team is fighting for sixth place in the constructors' championship after finishing last the previous year.

Answering GPblog's question, team boss Jonathan Wheatley explained how beneficial the relationship between the teammates is for the Sauber (soon-to-become Audi) team. He added that Bortoleto is "proving every way to be the future star that we expected him to be."

The youngster has great champions as allies as well. Bortoleto has a good relationship with Max Verstappen, also thanks to their shared passion for sim racing.

He previously told GPblog: "We drive a lot together in the sim and we practice a lot. I would say this is always helpful, tracks he already knows, tips he gives, about corners and things that I should be looking at. He always very good, the tips he gives to me."

Bortoleto with two-time world champion Alonso - Photo: Race Pictures

Moreover, he is part of Fernando Alonso’s management team. The Spaniard is confident as well that Bortoleto is the best rookie at the moment.

"He is the best of this generation. He won Formula 3 as a rookie, he won Formula 2 as a rookie. No testing with older versions of cars, no TPC programmes, no nothing. Coming to Formula 1, still delivering an incredible job," the Aston Martin driver praised the Brazilian to GPblog over the summer.

The talented driver is currently on the right path to becoming a household name in F1, and one day, perhaps, the first driver since Massa to win his home Grand Prix.

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