Brief overview of Gabriel Bortoleto’s career in motorsport

Gabriel Bortoleto is becoming a big name in the motorsport world. The 20 year old Brazilian racing driver won the 2024 Formula 2 Championship ahead of Isack Hadjar, and was announced as one of the Sauber drivers for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Bortoleto has consistently performed well throughout all the racing series he has competed in. His mentor, Fernando Alonso, has been able to help guide him throughout his career and be a major support system for the young driver. 

Like many Formula 1 drivers, Bortoleto began his career in karting at the young age of seven years old. He moved through the ranks at rapid speed and cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with at a very early stage. Bortoleto was a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme from 2023 to 2024 which was the time when he was able to make his first appearance in an F1 car. Bortoleto has continued to prove his talent and skill within the sport, and it was all rewarded when it was announced in 2024 that Gabriel Bortoleto would be driving for Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Gabriel Bortoleto's age, family and early life

Born on October 14th, 2004, Gabriel Bortoleto is currently 20 years old, making him one of the youngest drivers on the grid when he joins the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2025. Consistent with many other drivers, Bortoleto’s love for the sport began when he was just seven years old and tried his hand in the karting scene. 

Bortoleto’s full name is Gabriel Lourenzo Bortoleto Oliveira and the young driver was born in Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil. Bortoleto’s father, Lincoln Oliveira, is a very successful businessman and serves as the chief executive officer and co-owner of the Stock Car Pro Series in Brazil. Oliveira founded Americanet back in 1996 which then merged with Vero in 2023. This streamlined the company to becoming one of the largest internet service providers in all of Brazil. 

Bortoleto’s family also operates KTF Racing, which is a stock car and kart racing team. Bortoleto’s older brother, Enzo, was also involved in the motorsport scene. Enzo raced in Formula 4 and British Formula 3, but stopped pursuing it, unlike his younger brother. 

Gabriel Bortoleto is managed by A14 Management, which is a management firm owned by Fernando Alonso. Alonso has been a big support system for Bortoleto and has helped to mentor him throughout his career thus far. 

Start of Gabriel Bortoleto's F1 journey

Gabriel Bortoleto will be joining the Formula 1 grid in 2025 after Sauber announced the young Brazilian as their second driver alongside Nico Hülkenberg.

Bortoleto began his racing career back in October of 2011 where he competed in Karting and raced in the Campeonato Sulbrasileiro de Kart in 2012. When Bortoleto turned 11, he moved from Brazil to Europe to pursue a more serious career in racing. The Brazilian continued to compete in kart racing up until 2019. His most successful year was in 2018 where Bortoleto finished in third in the European and World Championships in Ok-Junior. He became the vice-campion in both the WSK Super Master Series and the Andrea Margutti Trophy. 

Bortoleto moved to single seater racing in 2020, where he made his debut in the 2020 Italian F4 Championship. He partnered Sebastián Montoya, Gabriele Minì, and Dino Beganovic at the Prema Powerteam. Bortoleto ended up finishing in fifth position in the drivers’ standings after securing his rookie win and four podiums.

It was announced in March of 2021 that Bortoleto would be competing in the Formula Regional European Championship with FA Racing, run by MP Motorsport. Bortoleto scored points in his very first race of the season in Imola where the Brazilian finished in ninth place. Bortoleto had a run of top ten finishes and secured a podium in the second race at the Red Bull Ring. Despite his solid scores, he finished in 15th place overall. In the same year, Bortoleto competed for 3Y by R-ace GP where he won the race at Yas Marina. He then joined the European Championship where he secured a victory at Spa and at Barcelona. The young driver ended up in sixth place overall in the standings. 

In September of 2022, it was announced that Bortoleto had joined A14, Fernando Alonso’s driver management company. Later that month, Bortoleto raced in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 post-season test at Jerez with Trident where he partnered Oliver Goether and Leonardo Fornaroli. Following this, he became the first driver announced for the 2023 Formula 3 Championship and would be driving for Trident. In his rookie year, Bortoleto claimed the Formula 3 championship title.  Throughout the season, the Brazilian had collected a slew of points and podium finishes, to comfortably secure his title win. 

After his victorious Formula 3 championship title win, it was announced that Bortoleto had signed with the McLaren Driver Development Programme in October of 2023. He then made his F1 testing debut at the Red Bull Ring in September of 2024 where he had the chance to test the McLaren MCL36. 

Following the path to becoming an F1 driver, Bortoleto then moved into Formula 2 in 2024 where he joined Invicta Virtuosi Racing partnering the Alpine Academy driver, Kush Maini. Bortoleto was in the championship fight alongside Isack Hadjar for the majority of the season. The two were so close in terms of points, that the fight went to the very last race weekend in Abu Dhabi. After Hadjar stalled in the last feature race of the season, Bortoleto was able to secure his championship win and became the fourth champion in the Formula 2 era to win the F3 and F2 titles in successive years. The only other drivers to complete this feat were Charles Leclerc, George Russell and lastly, Oscar Piastri. 

In November of 2024, it was announced that Gabriel Bortoleto will be driving for Sauber during the 2025 Formula 1 season alongside veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg. This is a very exciting opportunity for the young Brazilian driver and it gives him a chance to further prove his talents and skills within the sport. 

Notable moments and races in Gabriel Bortoleto's career

Despite being such a young driver, Gabriel Bortoleto has had numerous notable achievements throughout his career thus far. In 2018, Bortoleto had a very successful karting year which saw him finish in third in the European and World Championships in OK-Junior. He also became the vice-champion in both the WSK Super Master Series and the Andrea Margutti Trophy. 

In his rookie year, Bortoleto finished in fifth position overall for the 2020 Italian F4 Championship. He placed fourth in the rookie standings which helped to prove his prowess in the sport. 

In 2023, Gabriel Bortoleto raced for team Trident in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship. The Brazilian driver had a very successful year and was able to claim the championship title. His season was so strong that he was able to carry a 38-point advantage heading into the final round of the season.

Not only did Bortoleto secure the 2023 Formula 3 Championship title, but he was able to repeat the same feat in 2024 for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship. Bortoleto was in a close fight with the Frenchman, Isack Hadjar, right up until the final feature race of the season. The two drivers were going head to head with Bortoleto only having a four-point advantage over Hadjar. Unfortunately for Hadjar, he stalled at the beginning of the race, causing him to be unable to compete. Bortoleto had started the race in pole position, but was later overtaken. He finished the race in second position and was crowned the Formula 2 champion. 

The championship title win is impressive on its own, but Borotoleto also secured himself as the fourth champion in the FIA Formula 2 era to win both the F3 and F2 titles in successive years. He is joined by none other than Chalres Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri, all who have also completed this impressive achievement. Bortoleto also went on to win the FIA Rookie of the year award at the 2024 FIA awards ceremony that was held in Kigali.  

Gabriel Bortoleto height: How tall is Gabriel Bortoleto?

Despite being one of the youngest drivers to be joining the Formula 1 grid, Bortoleto will be standing as one of the tallest. Gabriel Bortoleto stands at an impressive 6 feet (1.84 meters), which puts him alongside Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman and George Russell as the group of tallest drivers on the current grid. 

Training for Formula 1 drivers usually consists of rigorous strength training, cardio, endurance exercises and reflex training, all to maintain their fitness and stamina for when they get behind the wheel. 

Gabriel Bortoleto's net worth

Gabriel Bortoleto’s official net worth has not been confirmed, but it is suspected to be a substantial amount. 

Despite his net worth not being confirmed, his Formula One salary, bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements all contribute to a significant income. 

Gabriel Bortoleto's helmet design and its significance

Gabriel Bortoleto introduced a special helmet for the Imola and Monaco Formula 2 race weekends. He ended up loving it so much that he kept the design for the remainder of the season. The helmet featured a special tribute to Aryton Senna, paying homage to his favorite racing driver and famous Brazilian icon. 

It is unclear whether Bortoleto will race with this design in 2025 

Gabriel Bortoleto’s relationship status: Who is Gabriel Bortoleto’s girlfriend?

Gabriel Bortoleto is currently dating Isabella Bernardini. Like Bortoleto, Bernardini is also from Brazil, but is studying a Computer Science degree in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is unclear how old Bernardini is, but it is suspected she is also the same age as the Brazilian driver. 

The two keep their relationship quite private, but there have been many sightings of the two together, and it is suspected fans will be able to spot Bernardini in the Formula 1 paddock throughout the 2025 season. 

It is also important to note that personal relationships can change quickly. 

Future prospects for Gabriel Bortoleto in Formula 1

With his undeniable talent at such a young age, there is no doubt that Gabriel Bortoleto is sure to perform in 2025 and beyond. He will be driving for Sauber starting in 2025, alongside Nico Hülkenberg. After a very successful career in the early stages of Formula racing, Bortoleto is sure to make his mark in the F1 world and continue to produce impressive race results in the coming years.