Coming from a victorious career in Brazilian and European karting, when he peaked with third place in the 2019 World Championship, Gabriel Bortoleto reached his first season in formula cars in 2020 by the front door.

The 15-year-old, representing the Brazilian academy of KTF Sports, raced in the 2020 events of the Italian F4 Championship, the most competitive in the world at the time, using the technical structure of the Prema Power Team.

In his debut season Gabriel showed all his talent having won a victory, a second and a third place in Mugello’s races and, on the mythical Monza track, accumulated another second and a third place after beautiful recovery races.

In the 2021 season, Bortoleto pointed his career to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine – FRECA. Previously named European F-3 the competition became an almost mandatory step for drivers with pretensions to follow the path to Formula 1, which means FIA F3 and FIA F2.

Thus, in his first year in the category, competing for the Fernando Alonso’s team, Bortoleto accumulated two podiums and a lot experience.

In 2022, the Brazilian races for the French team R-Ace GP, champion of the class in 2021. The debut happened in the end of this January when the driver participated on the Asian Formula Regional, former Asian F3, winning his debut race on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Still in the Middle East, in preparation for the European Championship, Bortoleto also competed in the Dubai race, accumulating another podium.

In 2023, Gabriel made a stunning debut in the FIA F3 Championship with Trident, establishing himself as a title favorite by winning the opening two Feature Races in Sakhir and Melbourne. His remarkable consistency—scoring points in 15 out of 18 races—allowed him to clinch the championship as a rookie at Monza. This dominant performance led to his selection for the McLaren Driver Development Programme ahead of his next career step.

Transitioning to FIA F2 in 2024 with Invicta Racing, Bortoleto continued his historic ascent by winning the championship in his debut year. A defining moment of his season was the Monza Feature Race, where he drove from the back of the grid (22nd) to claim victory. By securing the F2 title, he joined an elite group of drivers—including Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri—to win back-to-back F3 and F2 titles as a rookie.

For the 2025 season, Gabriel graduated to Formula 1 as a full-time driver for the Sauber F1 Team, partnering with the experienced Nico Hülkenberg. He impressed during his rookie F1 campaign by securing five top-10 finishes, including a season-high 6th place. His solid performance and growth potential led to his confirmation for the 2026 season, where he will lead the team’s transition into the Audi works squad.