Gabriel Bortoleto is among a select group of drivers to have won Formula 2 and Formula 3 back-to-back, each in his rookie year, along with fellow Formula 1 graduates Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell.

Growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, Gabriel started his racing career aged eight when competing in the 2012 Campeonato Sulbrasileiro de Kart. He successfully finished third in the 2018 European and World Championships in the OKJ-category.

Ready to take the next step, Gabriel moved up to single-seaters in 2020, racing in the Italian F4 Championship with PREMA Racing, where he achieved four podiums and a win in Mugello.

Gabriel raced in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine for the 2021 season, where he stepped on the podium twice and finished sixth overall. He continued in the series for 2022, moving to the French team R-Ace GP, with whom he won twice. His performances caught the eye of former McLaren driver Fernando Alonso, who signed him to his A14 management company.

Formula 3 beckoned, as Gabriel secured a seat with the 2021 Teams’ Champions Trident for 2023. The Alonso-backed driver started the campaign strongly, winning the first Feature Race of the season in Bahrain. He was crowned Champion at the final round in Monza.

The McLaren Driver Development programme had been watching Gabriel’s impressive F3 campaign and announced the Brazilian as a member in October 2023, shortly after his title win.

An equally impressive debut season in Formula 2 followed, Gabriel winning twice and taking a further six podiums on his route to a second successive title, with Invicta Racing.

Formula 1 teams had been watching, and the Brazilian emerged as a leading candidate for a seat with Kick Sauber during his title-winning campaign. He was confirmed alongside the experienced Nico Hulkenberg in November 2024, with two rounds of the F2 to spare, ahead of his Championship victory.