#5 · Audi
Gabriel Bortoleto
First Brazilian on the F1 grid since Felipe Massa retired in 2017. Won F3 in 2023 and F2 in 2024 back-to-back. Managed by Fernando Alonso.
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Race wins
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Podiums
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Pole positions
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Championships
Why he matters
Bortoleto is Brazil’s first F1 driver in nearly a decade and the public face of the Audi project — the rookie inside what is effectively a brand-new constructor entering 2026. The pressure is double-edged: every Brazilian fan at Interlagos will wear his number 5, and every Audi engineer in Hinwil and Neuburg will want to see what their car can really do.
How he drives
Bortoleto’s calling card is consistency. His F2 title in 2024 came from delivering points every weekend; he had fewer wins than some rivals but vastly fewer DNFs. That discipline translates to F1 the moment a car develops mid-season.
Watch for
- Race-day stints — Bortoleto often gains positions on tyre management, not on overtakes.
- His relationship with senior teammate Nico Hülkenberg, 17 years his elder — Hülkenberg is mentor and benchmark.
- His home race at Interlagos — guaranteed to be the loudest moment of his year.