Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has urged Ferrari to consider Gabriel Bortoleto as a future driver. The 94-year-old Brit believes that the Brazilian’s recent performances at Stake F1/Sauber should ‘really wake up Ferrari’.
“The next driver issue for Ferrari must be resolved with the Brazilian,” Ecclestone firmly tells the Swiss Blick.
Bortoleto, from São Paulo, made his debut in Formula 1 this year after winning the title in both Formula 3 (2023) and Formula 2 (2024). At Sauber, which is competitive in the run-up to the Audi era, the rookie is impressive. He scored points in three of the last four Grands Prix. His manager Fernando Alonso earlier this season in Hungary called him ‘the best rookie of this generation’ and suggested he would get much more attention ‘if he were British’.
Meanwhile, the project around Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari is struggling. The seven-time world champion, who made the switch earlier this year, has been without a podium in fourteen races. Hamilton has a contract until 2026, with an option for 2027 according to Italian media. Ecclestone warned that the Brit is shortchanging himself if he continues to drive beyond the point where he can be competitive.
