Rubens Barrichello thinks Gabriel Bortoleto is fast enough for Formula 1 – the development of the 20-year-old is crucial
Sauber has signed a young talent in Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 Formula One season, but the Brazilian will have to prove himself to establish himself in the premier class in the long term. Rubens Barrichello, who raced in Formula One from 1993 to 2011 and, like the youngster, comes from Brazil, thinks the 20-year-old is fast enough, but he will have to undergo a steep learning curve to have a future at Sauber and in the premier class.
“Of course I’m evaluating him. The talent behind the wheel is not the question. It’s about how he prepares to perform. Now everything is nice, in the paddock all eyes are on you and it’s fun. He’s a good driver, but we’ll have to see how he develops mentally. How he handles situations, because he’ll be under a lot of pressure.”
Brazil is thirsting for a new Formula One star from its own ranks. Felipe Massa was one of the top drivers in the field until 2017. With Felipe Nasr and Pietro Fittipaldi, there were two more Brazilians in the field until 2020, but since then it has become quiet around the South American country. “The public expects a lot from him,” warns Barrichello. “So we’ll have to wait and see. He has to find out who he really is.”
Barrichello advises the youngster to go on a journey of discovery. ‘That’s the best advice I can give him right now,’ says the veteran, who still competes in touring car races today. ”He shouldn’t get annoyed when things don’t go well, because these bad times are there to make you better. If they didn’t exist, it would be boring. Then you would win every race.” Bortoleto is managed by Fernando Alonso, who knows Formula 1 like the back of his hand. So the Brazilian has a lot to learn.
Alonso himself has been driving in Formula 1 with a few interruptions since 2001 and has over 400 races under his belt. “That impresses me,” says Barrichello. “I was in Formula One for 19 years. You have to remember that in the beginning I only drove 14 races a year and later 16. You can’t compare that, can you? What I like about Alonso is that you can see in his eyes that he still loves the circus.” Barrichello has already competed in sim racing with Alonso and would have liked to have been the Spaniard’s teammate at some point in his career.
