Gabriel Bortoleto is set to be Brazil’s first full-time Formula 1 driver since Felipe Massa retired at the end of the 2017 season.
He signed for Sauber after an exciting debut Formula 2 campaign where he won the title and managed to claim victory from 22nd and last on the grid in Monza.
Fellow countryman Lucas di Grassi has advised Bortoleto to escape Audi (who complete a takeover of the Sauber team in 2026) as soon as possible.
The Swiss outfit he joins finished bottom of the Constructors’ Standings in 2024 after scoring points on just one occasion.
Fernando Alonso has picked Bortoleto for best rookie honours in 2025, which is understandable given that he is his agent.
But he may struggle to perform if the car is anywhere near as bad as it was this season. Nico Hulkenberg is his new teammate too, who could make him look quite amateur in comparison if he drives well.
Why Garbiel Bortoleto needs to emulate Ayrton Senna’s ‘attitude’
Modern Formula 1 brings many demands to a driver, including media commitments, heavy fan engagement and plenty of debriefing time to improve the car.
Bortoleto needs to demonstrate leadership next to Hulkenberg in 2025, especially if he wants to be the number one driver in the future.
At the age of 37, the ‘Hulk’ probably doesn’t have too many of his best years ahead of him before he decides to retire, so his Brazilian teammate will need to find his voice quite soon.
READ MORE: What Gabriel Bortoleto said on Sauber team radio during F1 debut that caught ‘everyone’s attention’
Speaking to Motorsport Brasil, ex-racecar driver and pundit Ricardo Molina mentioned that he wants to see Bortoleto adopt a similar attitude and approach to Ayrton Senna.
“Ayrton, when he came to Brazil, he isolated himself. God helped him, he understood, he succeeded, but he isolated himself. He wasn’t there to have fun, he was there to isolate himself.
“Including the first 5000km [of testing] pre-season, Berger was the one to do [less]. He arrived later, right? And this is the attitude we want [from Bortoleto].”
Does Gabriel Bortoleto have the potential to be the best Brazilian F1 driver since Ayrton Senna?
Any junior driver who wins the Formula 2 and 3 championships in back-to-back seasons is a serious threat and a talent to be acknowledged.
Oscar Piastri did it and is now a multiple race-winner and championship contender for McLaren at the front of the field.
A similar path for Bortoleto would be slightly more remarkable considering that his team have only ever claimed one victory – back in 2008 with Robert Kubica.
READ MORE: George Russell tells Gabriel Bortoleto why Sauber move will be ‘good preparation’ after Williams spell
But the new technical regulations which arrive in 2026 could see the playing field completely change again, as is the case most times when the rules are heavily altered.
Valtteri Bottas says Sauber and Audi need to focus on their mentality if they want to make progress through the field in 2026.
2009 saw Brawn (formerly Honda) go from backmarkers to championship winners within a season. So, it’s not impossible to think that Sauber can emulate that sort of success with their experienced and youthful driver pairing.
Taking a look at Senna’s stats from his first season with Toleman back in 1984, you can see just how much potential he had from day one.
| Statistic | Ayrton Senna (1984) |
| Points | 13 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Championship Standing | 9th |
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