Gabriel Bortoleto was already on Audi’s radar when he was competing in Formula 3. Allan McNish reveals having followed the Brazilian very early in his career.
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Gabriel Bortoleto’s arrival at Sauber in 2025 was perhaps not as sudden as it seemed. Long before entrusting him with a seat in Formula 1, Audi had already identified the Brazilian as one of the most promising young drivers of his generation.
Allan McNish, former F1 driver and now competition director at Audi, had started thinking about the German manufacturer’s young driver development program as early as 2023.
At that time, Bortoleto had just made his debut in Formula 3 with Trident. That did not prevent his name from appearing on the very first list drawn up by McNish.
Bortoleto was already monitored by Audi in Formula 3
The Brazilian’s career then quickly took off. Formula 3 champion in his first season, Bortoleto had joined McLaren’s young driver program.
But with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri firmly established long-term within the British team, his prospects of reaching F1 with McLaren were limited. He was eventually released, paving the way for his recruitment by Sauber for the 2025 season.
A team set to officially become Audi in 2026.
McNish reveals today that this recruitment was part of a much older plan.
“Gabi was actually on my initial list for the program,” confides the Scot.
The former driver also emphasizes the considerable development a young talent can undergo in just a few years.
“I remember the person I was at 17 and my level of human development. It was very different from who I was at 21 or 22, and I can see the same with Gabi.”
Freddie Slater also identified very early
Bortoleto was not the only driver on this first list. Freddie Slater, now competing for the title in Formula 3 and considered one of the great hopes to one day reach F1, had also caught McNish’s attention.
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“Gabi and Freddie were on that initial list. He had just started in F3. There were six drivers I was watching and two of them are now with us, so that’s pretty nice.”
Audi is thus betting on a long-term strategy to identify future talents, sometimes several years before they are truly close to a seat in Formula 1.
“Gabi has evolved enormously”
McNish is particularly satisfied with the progress Bortoleto has made since their first contacts.
“Gabi has evolved enormously over the last 24 months since I have known him, and he has already arrived in Formula 1.”
For Audi, developing a young driver is not only about improving driving performance. The goal is also to support their personal growth and how they manage the inevitable mistakes throughout a career.
“You can never put an old head on young shoulders, but you can certainly help them make the right mistakes, because they will make them.”
McNish reminds that even the most experienced drivers continue to make mistakes.
“Everyone makes mistakes. I still do, Nico [Hülkenberg] does, Gabi does. What matters is how you manage them. It’s a bit like a very, very long university.”
By identifying Bortoleto from his beginnings in Formula 3, Audi is now reaping the rewards of a scouting effort started several years before his official arrival in Formula 1.
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