Ecclestone is proud to have helped Bortoleto get into F1.

      There is a lot of talk about Gabriel Bortoleto right now: the promising Brazilian rookie has begun to score points regularly and at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix truly stood out: he posted the seventh-fastest time in qualifying and finished sixth in the race.

      His contract with Sauber is multi-year, so he will remain with the team in 2026 when it changes its name to Audi F1. At the same time, Gabriel's career is managed by A14 Management — Fernando Alonso's agency.

      Perhaps most importantly, he is almost on a par with Nico Hülkenberg, his teammate and one of the most experienced drivers in the championship. If Nico beat him at 8 of the 14 races, the score in their qualifying duels is 9–5 in favor of the Brazilian.

      It's clear that Alonso supports his protégé, and they have already had several interesting on-track battles, but among Bortoleto's admirers is also Bernie Ecclestone, the former head of Formula 1 management.

      Last year Fabiana Flosi, his wife, admitted that Ecclestone helped Bortoleto get into Formula 1, and Bernie himself is not stingy with praise for the 20-year-old Sauber driver: "I helped Gabriel make his Formula 1 debut and I'm proud of it. I would say that this guy is worth his weight in gold."

      Fernando Alonso has also said that Gabriel is the best among drivers of his generation.