Gabriel Bortoleto responds to ‘real deal’ claim from Sauber chief who worked closely with Ayrton Senna

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Gabriel Bortoleto is making a serious impression in his rookie Formula 1 season. The Brazilian has put in some incredible performances at Sauber in 2025.

The 20-year-old was expected to struggle in his debut season, given that Sauber were considered to be firm backmarkers over the winter. The team scored just four points in 2024, but under the leadership of Jonathan Wheatley, they have turned a corner.

Sauber’s improved pit stops and technical developments have propelled them into the midfield. Nico Hulkenberg scored his first F1 podium at Silverstone and the team’s first since 2012, while teammate Bortoleto is showing his true talent.

The Brazilian has outqualified his teammate thus far in 2025, with regular Q3 appearances. Bortoleto has stunned Hulkenberg behind the scenes with his approach to F1, which has been rewarded with 18 points from his first 16 races.

Having recorded a best finish of sixth in Budapest, Bortoleto is already showing he is a top talent in the sport. It has prompted high praise from his Sauber boss, who has worked closely with some all-time F1 greats.

Gabriel Bortoleto says it’s ‘amazing’ that Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley calls him the ‘real deal’

The Brazilian was told by Tom Clarkson on the Beyond The Grid podcast that Wheatley had referred to him as the ‘real deal’. The 58-year-old worked with Michael Schumacher at Benetton and competed against Ayrton Senna as he raced with McLaren and Williams.

Asked for his response to such high praise, Bortoleto said: “What can I say? I mean, it’s amazing

“Well definitely. A guy that saw so many talents, worked with the greatest together, with Senna and Michael won seven titles.

“I always rate him very highly, together with my idol, that is Senna. He worked with the guy and then he says I’m the real deal. What can I say? Like for me, it’s just amazing.

“And I still have so much to prove in Formula One and I want to achieve so much here. I want to be a champion one day and that’s what I’m going to work every single day I wake up for.

“And to hear from my boss that I’m the real deal, it’s amazing. What can I say? It’s great.”

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

Gabriel Bortoleto shares what he finds ‘fascinating’ about his F1 idol Ayrton Senna

The 20-year-old has made it no secret that his fellow countryman is his racing idol. Bortoleto sports a Senna-inspired helmet in 2025 – he hopes to emulate his success one day.

F1 has changed enormously since Senna’s era in the 1980s and 1990s. Bortoleto has found it ‘fascinating’ how the three-time champion used to drive, and he thinks he would be ’10 years’ ahead if he had today’s technology.

“So the Formula One world evolved a lot in the last 30 years and it’s natural that a new generation will get more data, more information, to improve compared to, let’s say the older drivers,” he said.

“This doesn’t make them worse or better than us. I get fascinated about Senna, he was ahead of his generation.

“So it’s like, if he was today ahead of the sim generation, in the sense, he would be in a step ahead in 10 years. In 10 years, people would be doing things that he was doing already 10 years before.

“So that’s what I find fascinating about him because he was the game changer. It’s the same as Michael Schumacher, when you hear histories about him, he was a game changer in many topics.

“In the physical condition, he was putting the bar up. He was setting things in another level and that’s what I find fascinating about Senna, Schumacher.”