Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto is Formula 1's most compelling Brazilian story in nearly a decade — and he has arrived at the top of the sport carrying a junior career résumé that left nothing to debate. Born in Osasco, São Paulo, Bortoleto grew up in a country that worshipped its Formula 1 heroes and channelled that inspiration into systematic domination of the junior ranks. He claimed the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2023, then came back the following year and swept the FIA Formula 2 title in 2024 — winning consecutive elite junior series in back-to-back seasons, a feat that only the most exceptional talents have managed.

Audi's Formula 1 project — which ran as Sauber through the 2025 transitional season — signed Bortoleto ahead of several competing interests, handing him one of the most high-profile junior-to-Formula 1 moves of recent years. His 2025 campaign with the still-developing Sauber package was a learning exercise, but his pace and technical clarity consistently drew praise from engineers who worked with him. In 2026, as a full Audi works driver alongside the experienced Hülkenberg, his confidence and output have grown noticeably with each race weekend.

Smooth, determined, and technically astute well beyond his years, Bortoleto is carrying the rich weight of Brazilian motorsport history on remarkably assured shoulders.