McLaren crew principal Andrea Stella says the crew gained’t stand in protege Gabriel Bortoleto’s means if Sauber needs to supply him a Components 1 race seat, however would moderately sanction a mortgage transfer than let the teenager go definitively.
Bortoleto not too long ago emerged as one of many fundamental contenders to accomplice Nico Hulkenberg on the future Audi crew, alongside incumbent Valtteri Bottas and reserve driver Theo Pourchaire, whereas Franco Colapinto additionally can’t be dominated out after the Argentine’s spectacular outing on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix final weekend.
After having reasonable success at Components 4 and Components Regional ranges, Bortoleto has been making a powerful case for himself by successful the Components 3 championship as a rookie final 12 months and taking the lead of the Components 2 standings in Baku – once more as a debutant.
With Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris each having fun with long-term contracts with McLaren, there ought to be no emptiness on the Woking-based crew till 2027 on the earliest. As a consequence, Stella is open to talks about Bortoleto’s future.
“If [Sauber chief operating officer Mattia] Binotto got here to me… when you’ve gotten such a expertise, positively you are not going to cease him having an opportunity in Components 1,” the Italian insisted.
“On the similar time, we shall be positively keen on discovering a strategy to hold him within the McLaren household, as a result of I believe he is a expertise that sooner or later could possibly be vital for McLaren.
“We’re protected for the long run with our two drivers. We could not be any happier. However positively, we want to hold him within the McLaren household. However I am positive we might discover a answer.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
Photograph by: Components Motorsport Ltd
Stella has been impressed not solely together with his junior driver’s efficiency and consistency – the 19-year-old Brazilian having completed 17 of the most recent 18 F2 races within the prime 10 – but additionally together with his perspective.
“I inform Gabriel the identical factor I inform the crew: do not have a look at the classification, simply take into consideration the chequered flag on a regular basis and race one race at a time, with the ft on the bottom,” he explains. “And he has it.
“For me, just like Oscar, it isn’t solely the flexibility and the execution when he’s within the automotive. From a driving perspective, he is additionally – you understand how humble these guys are, how accessible they’re to simply get the educational working with the crew. At no level they’re smug.
“And if you mix expertise with arduous work and this type of values and perspective, I believe it is the place you may develop as a driver. And Gabriel is one other instance of rising so quickly.
“If we consider the beginning of his F2 marketing campaign, he had some hiccups at occasions – not essentially solely because of his driving, he had some automotive issues – however he did not hand over. He stayed on the case, and now he’s constructing step-by-step.”
Bortoleto has scored 169.5 factors thus far this F2 season whereas his fundamental rivals Isack Hadjar, Zane Maloney and Paul Aron have accrued 165, 135 and 133 on their tallies respectively, with 4 races but to happen throughout the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds.
Additional down the order, Jak Crawford, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Victor Martins stay in mathematical competition for the title.
