Gabriel Bortoleto, the 21‑year‑old rookie for Audi F1, confirmed that Fernando Alonso behaves the same behind the cameras as he does on public appearances. The statement came during the Fast and Curious podcast, where Bortoleto was asked whether Alonso presents a hidden side to the media.
Bortoleto, who entered Formula 1 with Sauber last season, has already contested the full 2026 calendar as Audi took over the Swiss outfit at the start of the year. The Brazilian driver is represented by Alonso’s A14 Management, a firm that also manages names such as Maximilian Guenther, Clement Novalak, Nikola Tsolov, Pepé Marti, Sebastian Montoya, Chloe Chambers, Cenyu Han, Andres Cardenas, and Carl Bennett.
During the interview, Bortoleto said Alonso “doesn’t fake it” and that his sarcasm is a familiar trait: “I love that he’s very sarcastic many times, with many stuff, but people already know that.” The rookie added that Alonso’s humor makes him entertaining and that he finds it “quite funny.”
Alonso himself has praised Bortoleto, labeling him “the best rookie of this generation” after the Brazilian secured sixth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2025, finishing just behind the champion in fifth. Alonso remarked that a sixth‑place finish in Sauber would be headline‑material if the driver were English or from another nation.
Comparing race‑season performance, Bortoleto sits 14th in the Drivers’ Championship with 10 points, ahead of teammate Nico Hülkenberg who is 15th with seven points, following a 19th‑place finish in the inaugural rookie campaign.
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
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