Fernando Alonso: Bortoleto must be given time

Gabriel Bortoleto is the leader in the Formula 2 individual championship two rounds before the end of the season and if he wins the title in his debut season, as Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri did, he will no longer be able to compete in the youth series. However, this will not make much sense, because good prospects open up for him in Formula 1.

This is handled by A14 Management and owned by Fernando Alonso, who has no doubt that his Brazilian protégé is a very talented driver.

Bortoleto is seen as one of the contenders for a place at Sauber, although it seems that the new management of the Swiss team is inclined to make a different choice and will extend the contract with Valtteri Bottas. In this case, Gabriel can count on a contract as a reserve driver, and it seems that Alonso likes this option.

“Brazil has a rich history in Formula 1 and there have been many great drivers from the country in the World Championship. But maybe it also meant too much pressure. Bortoleto must be given time,” Fernando explained his position. – He will still have time to get to Formula 1, but we should not try to shorten this path, as this could negatively affect the formation of his talent.

He must make his debut in Formula 1 at the right time, when he is ready. In addition, he must be in the right team and the right atmosphere. We have to try to achieve a combination of these factors: pressure, the desire to get into F1 and the right time.

Now the decision depends on Sauber. But it is clear that Gabriel is a promising driver, all teams understand this.”

If Bortoleto can make his debut in the World Championship in 2025, he will become the first representative of Brazil in Formula 1 after Felipe Massa. Massa started his career in 2002 at Sauber.

And another question is: can this team now be considered the right choice for a debut? The fact that she is represented by such an experienced professional as Nico Hulkenberg, who can still learn a lot from her, can be considered an absolute plus. But the downside is that Sauber has the slowest car this year, and Bottas and Guanyu Zhou still have no points to their name.

Alonso is right when he says that Gabriel “needs to be in the right team and the right atmosphere” because otherwise the young Brazilian could repeat the fate of Mick Schumacher, who had to take on the role of reserve after two seasons in Haas F1 . driver for Mercedes, and the further career of his son, the seven-time world champion, is in doubt.