For Brazil, a nation steeped in F1 history, the excitement of Gabriel Bortoleto’s promotion to motorsport’s top level is palpable, but so is the pressure according to ex-Grand Prix driver Rubens Barrichello.
At just 20 years old, Bortoleto will drive for Sauber alongside veteran Nico Hülkenbergin 2025, becoming the first Brazilian on the grid since Felipe Massa’s departure in 2017.
The country’s rich tapestry of F1 legends – from trail blazer Emerson Fittipaldi to multiple world champions Nelson Piquet and the late Ayrton Senna – means that Bortoleto will not just step into an F1 car, he’ll be stepping into a legacy.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Barrichello, who concluded his F1 career in 2011 with a massive 323 Grands Prix and 11 race wins under his belt, offered his candid view on the challenges awaiting his young countryman.
“I do rate him for sure,” Barrichello said. “Right now it’s not a question of his driving ability. It’s to see how well he’s prepared to deliver.”
As one of the most experienced drivers in F1 history, the 52-year-old understands better than most the weight of expectation that comes with representing Brazil on the global stage.
“Right now, everything is lovely,” he added. “People look at you differently, the paddock is watching you and the behaviour right now is just fun.
“But he is a very good driver, we just have to see how he develops on mind management, on how he manages things because it’s going to be a lot of pressure.
“He’s the next one, for a very long time we didn’t have [a Brazilian driver] so a lot of expectations from the public so we have to see.”
Barrichello’s words highlight the double-edged sword of national pride. While Bortoleto’s talent has earned him a spot in F1, the emotional weight of representing an entire nation can be overwhelming.
The last Brazilian champion, Ayrton Senna, remains an almost mythical figure, and every Brazilian driver since has had to navigate comparisons to his unparalleled legacy.
Reflecting on his own journey through the highs and lows of F1, Barrichello offered Bortoleto some sage advice.
“Get to know yourself. That’s the best advice I could give him right now,” said the former Ferrari driver.
“We don’t have to get angry or feel bad about the bad times. The bad times exist for us to be better.
“It would have been boring if we didn’t have that, you would have won all the races and you don’t know what’s the value of actually going through and winning a race.”
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