Gabriel Bortoleto is the first full-time Brazilian F1 driver since Felipe Massa in 2017. He joins the grid off the back of winning F3 and F2 consecutively as a rookie.
Bortoleto has joined Sauber on a multi-year deal after leaving McLaren at the end of 2024. The 20-year-old will partner with Nico Hulkenberg, who has also signed a long-term contract.
The pair will become Audi works drivers when the German manufacturer join F1 in 2026. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg will be Sauber’s last drivers in the sport – and they could be in for a long year.
The Hinwil-based outfit scored just four points in 2024 as they languished at the back. Despite some improvements in the final few races, optimism is not high heading into 2025.
Bortoleto puffed his cheeks to Mattia Binotto in the garage as his C45 suffered an issue in pre-season testing in Bahrain. The feeling is Sauber have the slowest car again in 2025.
But the Brazilian is a serious talent for the future, with manager Fernando Alonso labelling Bortoleto as 2025’s best rookie. However, Romain Grosjean does not see it that way.
Romain Grosjean names Isack Hadjar as F1’s most ‘exciting’ rookie in 2025
Bortoleto is one of four F2 drivers making the step up to F1 in 2025. Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar will get their chances with Mercedes, Haas and Racing Bulls respectively.
The last of those three has some expectations and hype around him. Hadjar finished runner-up to Bortoleto in F2 and has been afforded his chance with Racing Bulls after Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know
Helmut Marko has labelled Hadjar a ‘mini Alain Prost’ ahead of his rookie season. The Frenchman has the 81-year-old on his side – and Grosjean will keep tabs on his fellow countryman.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, the former F1 driver sees Hadjar alongside Antonelli as the most ‘exciting 2025 rookie. When asked the question, he replied: “That’s a tough one. I mean Isack being French, of course I have to go for him right?
“I think Kimi Antonelli has got an incredible car so far and a fast-forward path to a top team in Formula 1 so that’s got to be exciting.
“Gabriel Bortoleto, I know him a little bit less. So I would say that Kimi Antonelli and personally Isack because he’s French, so I’ll follow those two guys.”
Ted Kravitz not ‘convinced’ by Red Bull’s latest claim about Isack Hadjar
Hadjar will partner with Yuki Tsunoda in 2025 at Racing Bulls. The Japanese driver heads into his fifth season with the Faenza-based outfit after being snubbed by Lawson of the second Red Bull seat.
Hadjar will be expected to compete with and match his teammate this season. The £800k-a-year driver is only contracted for 2025 and knowing Red Bull’s cutthroat nature with their drivers, he could be out come the end of the year.
Ralf Schumacher thinks Hadjar will beat Tsunoda and send him ‘into retirement’. Red Bull seem to believe the Frenchman is as quick, if not quicker than his teammate heading into the Australian Grand Prix.
But Ted Kravitz is not ‘convinced’ by this claim. He has not seen anything from Hadjar yet to suggest he can be faster than his more experienced teammate.
Martin Brundle says Hadjar must keep his cool in 2025. The 20-year-old is known to have an explosive temperament over his radio – similar to Tsunoda in previous years.
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