Bortoleto shows his early F1 class in response to Marko “B driver” jibe

In issuing a cultured response to Purple Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko branding him as solely a “B” calibre driver, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has continued his robust begin to life within the System 1 media highlight.

Two weeks in the past within the Bahrain take a look at, Bortoleto was frank however angst-less in discussing how restrictions on F1’s Testing of Earlier Automobiles (TPC) rule – minimize to 1,000km over simply 4 days and break up throughout each drivers in a staff – means he arrives as one of many least ready drivers within the championship’s historical past given the continuing restriction on pre- and in-season testing.

By comparability, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was capable of log almost 5,000 miles of working in older after which present equipment forward of his F1 bow in 2007.

A few of Bortoleto’s deficit stems from his late signing for Sauber in November 2024 – because it meant he didn’t full prolonged TPC programmes similar to these run by Alpine for Jack Doohan forward of his F1 commencement.

Now in Melbourne for the 2025 season opener after talking eloquently on one niggling matter for rookie drivers in Bahrain, Bortoleto needed to confront one other in being questioned on the barbs of Marko.

Showing on Purple Bull’s in-house broadcaster ServusTV on Monday, Marko was requested to grade the 5 2025 rookies apart from Liam Lawson.

He declared Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Haas driver Oliver Bearman as “A” drivers – albeit with caveats relating to strain on the previous in debuting in F1 with Mercedes and a query concerning the dangers he views because the latter typically taking – and gave the identical ‘grade’ to new Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar.

Marko dismissed Alpine’s Jack Doohan – one other Purple Bull junior between 2017-2021 – as a “C driver – I don’t suppose he’ll full the total season” and gave Bortoleto only one grade greater.

“I’d fee him a B driver,” mentioned Marko. “He’s a really clever racer – he received the System 3 championship [in 2023], however with just one victory. He tends to remain out of hassle.

“In System 2, he had solely two wins. He’s a driver who brings the automobile dwelling, has a stable grasp of technique and tyre administration, however I don’t see that final pace in him.”

When these feedback had been put to Bortoleto in Melbourne, he replied: “I don’t care. I’ve seen that and I like challenges.

“Listening to that from Helmut – he’s a man who has put loads of expertise in System 1 and has put loads of improper skills in F1. So, you possibly can see he received it proper and improper and hopefully I’ll show him improper.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff, Isack Hadjar, RB F1 Staff, Carlos Sainz, Williams, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos

“However nothing I say now within the media will change his thoughts – simply my outcomes on observe. I’m positive I’ll show him improper in some unspecified time in the future and hopefully he’ll admit this.

“For now, I’m simply specializing in doing my job and bettering and doing the most effective I can. I’m pleased with what I did within the junior sequence and I received in F2 and F3 in opposition to the Purple Bull drivers he has, so good for me.”

Additionally talking in Melbourne was Fernando Alonso – who has Bortoleto signed to his A14 administration firm.

Whereas not requested about Marko’s feedback, Alonso as a substitute opined once more on Bortoleto’s “dedication and his professionalism in the direction of racing” – after being filled with reward for his cost late in 2024.

“[That] has been most likely probably the most spectacular factor,” Alonso added. “Since day one, he was very dedicated to work onerous for his goals – already in FRECA however then in System 3 after which System 2, every race was very effectively ready and a really mature method.

“I believe he deserves to be in System 1 and hopefully [has] a protracted profession right here and [is] profitable. He has been the most effective rookie of this subsequent technology that we see so many rookies [coming] into F1 this yr.

“He has been the most effective of them, so [although] perhaps he would not have the automobile in the mean time to match their outcomes the primary yr, hopefully individuals do not forget what he did within the final two.”

With observe motion in Melbourne underneath a day away, Bortoleto doesn’t have lengthy to attend in his quiet quest to show considered one of F1’s greatest talkers improper.

Pictures from Australian GP – Thursday