Fernando Alonso gave Gabriel Bortoleto key advice he followed ‘exactly’ to earn Sauber F1 seat

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Sauber announced on Wednesday morning that Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Bortoleto will be their second driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Gabriel Bortoleto will be the first permanent Brazilian on the F1 grid since Felipe Massa when he joins Sauber from McLaren’s driver academy next year.

The 20-year-old still has a Formula 2 championship to try and win this year and he holds a narrow lead over Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar with two rounds to go.

Bortoleto has had one of the best drivers in the history of F1 to lean on for support in the form of Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso.

Alonso has set up the A14 Management agency and they look after Bortoleto’s career.

So much so, that Bortoleto thanks Alonso for his role in joining McLaren as a junior driver last year.

Now, the pair are preparing to race each other next year, although Alonso will hope that he’s not battling on the track with the youngster’s Sauber given their woeful performance this year.

Bortoleto is gambling on Sauber turning a corner when they morph into the Audi works team in 2026.

A report from Auto Motor und Sport and details from Gazzetta dello Sport have shared more details about Bortoleto and Alonso’s relationship.

Alonso was quick to react to Bortoleto’s F1 promotion and has had a real influence on his career to date.

What Gabriel Bortoleto has learned from mentor Fernando Alonso

The report from AMuS suggests that Bortoleto ‘drives with his head and rarely drops out’, something that he has been taught by Alonso.

It’s important for the Brazilian not to aim to win every race but instead focus on winning championships by being consistent.

The story from Gazzetta delves into more details and says that making ‘few mistakes and having a lot of consistency’ is ‘exactly’ what Alonso has taught him.

The head of Audi’s F1 project is Mattia Binotto who witnessed Bortoleto’s crowning Formula 2 moment this year.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

Bortoleto made a mistake in qualifying at Monza and had to start from the back of the grid.

But he drove brilliantly and after having a bit of luck with a well-timed safety car, won the race from the back of the grid.

Binotto was reportedly impressed with Bortoleto’s ‘excellent race management’ after running for a long stint on worn tryes.

Fernando Alonso waiting for success to arrive after extending Aston Martin stay

While Bortoleto will be likely battling head-to-head with Nico Hulkenberg to avoid finishing last every weekend as Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have done this year, Alonso will have loftier ambitions.

Aston Martin should finish fifth in the Constructors’ Championship this year, however, the likes of Haas, RB and even Alpine and Williams occasionally have overtaken them in terms of overall pace.

This has meant Alonso and Lance Stroll have struggled to challenge for points when just 12 months ago the Spaniard was standing on the podium at Interlagos.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Damon Hill was impressed with Alonso in Sao Paulo even though he didn’t score points and those performances are why he’s signed a contract until the end of the 2026 season.

Aston Martin are set to unveil a new wind tunnel soon and Adrian Newey will lead a new team of highly-regarded senior staff from next year.

Alonso will hope that all of these factors come together to help Aston Martin return to the highest level in F1.