Fernando Alonso makes generational Gabriel Bortoleto claim after ‘best’ Hungarian Grand Prix display

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Formula 1 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto continues to defy expectations as he produced a stunning weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian carried on his impressive form in qualifying as he made it into Q3 for the third time in four races. His Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg could not make it out of Q1.

Bortoleto made sure to capitalise on his pace as he qualified an incredible P7, marking his best result on Saturday in F1. He even outqualified four-time champion and close friend Max Verstappen, who lined up next to him in eighth.

Verstappen had been trying to get Bortoleto onto the F1 grid before Sauber eventually signed him on a long-term contract. His support for the Brazilian has paid off handsomely, and that was proved again at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The rookie dispatched Lance Stroll at the start after a great getaway from the grid. The stewards placed Bortoleto under investigation as they suspected he jumped the start, but it was actually teammate Hulkenberg who committed the offence.

Fernando Alonso claims Gabriel Bortoleto is the ‘best rookie of his generation’ at the Hungarian Grand Prix

That left Bortoleto free of a penalty and able to challenge the field for more points. However, the Hungaroring circuit’s twisty and narrow nature prevented many drivers from making sizeable gains.

The Sauber driver finished behind manager Fernando Alonso in P6; his best result as an F1 driver to date. P5 was also the Spaniard’s best finish of 2025 as he and Stroll scored a valuable 16 points for the team.

Alonso has been pivotal in Bortoleto’s development and his current trajectory. Under his management, the Brazilian has won the F3 and F2 titles as a rookie before making it to the F1 grid, where he is showing his credentials as a serious talent.

The 44-year-old has been full of praise for the young talent, and he made an incredible claim about him after his performance in Hungary. As per journalist Jorge Peiro, the Spaniard was quoted about Bortoleto: “He’s the best rookie of his generation, if he were English or something, he’d be grabbing headlines.”

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

Gabriel Bortoleto is proving Fernando Alonso right with his performances in 2025

Bortoleto is certainly making a name for himself already in F1. Not many would have expected, given how poor Sauber’s car was in 2024, but the team have made huge strides forward in 2025, which the Brazilian has used to his advantage.

Alonso claimed that Bortoleto was 2025’s ‘best’ rookie before the season started. He is definitely making a case to achieve that title, with Q3 appearances becoming almost a formality.

Tom Coronel even claims that Bortoleto would be better than Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes. The Italian has only scored one point in the last four races, while the Sauber star has grabbed all 14 of his 2025 points thus far in that time.

The 20-year-old is establishing himself as a serious talent in F1. He will have his eyes on a stronger season when Audi join the sport in 2026.