Gabriel Bortoleto won F3 in 2023 and F2 in 2024, then landed at Audi—right as the rivals he beat in juniors started reaching podiums elsewhere. Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar are collecting trophies. Bortoleto is fifteenth in the standings, helping Audi build from eighth in the constructors' championship. His take: "Let's see where we all end up in 20 years."
The 22-year-old Brazilian isn't treating Audi as a stepping stone. He wants to be there when the project arrives, not after. That's the mindset Mattia Binotto is reinforcing—Bortoleto calls the Audi boss a mentor and friend, someone he asks about life beyond racing. Max Verstappen plays a similar role. The two talk sim racing and strategy, but Bortoleto's real questions are about Red Bull's climb before the titles started coming.
Patience is the plan. Whether Audi's timeline matches Bortoleto's peak is the open question.
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