Fernando Alonso has thrown his full support behind McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto, insisting it’s only a matter of time before the young Brazilian steps up to Formula 1.
Bortoleto, who is managed by Alonso’s A14 management company, has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the single-seater ranks.
His impressive rookie campaign in Formula 3 last year, which culminated in a championship title, earned him widespread attention, including from McLaren which duly signed up the young gun to its driver development programme.
Now, as the current leader of the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Invicta Racing, the 20-year-old’s future in F1 seems increasingly assured.
Speaking at last month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alonso vaunted Bortoleto’s qualities and merits, highlighting his consistency and pace as well as his humility and hard-working attitude.
“He’s an incredible talent and a very humble person as well, which I think that’s the biggest thing that we need to work on,” commented the two-time world champion, quoted by Motorsport Week.
"He’s a hard worker, apart from his talent, and I think that’s why in Formula 3 and Formula 2 he had this much progress."
Alonso also cited the young Brazilian’s maturity as a major factor in his success at such a young age.
"I think also he’s someone that is taking things very seriously as well, which at that age is never a guarantee," he added, noting how rare it is to find a driver with Bortoleto’s blend of natural speed and professionalism at just 20 years old.
While talent alone is often not enough to secure success in the highly competitive world of motorsport, Bortoleto’s achievements have been all the more remarkable given the constraints he has faced compared to some of his rivals, according to Alonso.
“As we touched before on the budgets and things like that, he won the championship as a rookie in Formula 3, and he’s fighting for the championship as a rookie in Formula 2, but without the test of many other rookies,” noted the Aston Martin F1 driver.
“So he’s probably the only ‘rookie, rookie’ on the championship. So this was an amazing achievement so far. And let’s see what the future brings.”
Despite his affiliation with McLaren, Bortoleto has reportedly been in talks – with McLaren’s approbation – with Audi-Sauber as a potential candidate to fill the Swiss outfit’s second seat in 2025 alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
However, Sauber is also considering extending the contract of incumbent Valtteri Bottas while Mick Schumacher is also being evaluated by the Hinwil-based squad.
McLaren currently has long-term deals with their star drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both of whom have delivered strong performances, making it difficult for Bortoleto to break into their main team in the near future.
Regardless of where Bortoleto ends up, Alonso remains confident that his protégé’s future in Formula 1 is inevitable.
His words of praise serve as a powerful endorsement for the young charger, whose combination of skill, mindset, and relentless work ethic sets him apart from the rest.
As Alonso put it succinctly: "It’s a matter of time that he gets to F1."
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