In Rio, Vettel praises Gabriel Bortoleto: 'Very promising'

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, on a visit to Rio de Janeiro, praised Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto on Tuesday (12), who is making his debut season in the main category of motorsport.

At the wheel of the Sauber, 20-year-old Bortoleto had his best F1 race at the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3, finishing in sixth place.

“He learns very quickly” and is “progressing little by little,” Vettel commented in a talk at the Rio Innovation Week event.

"I think he's having a great season. The car isn't very strong, but it's probably helping him develop," added the German, who retired from F1 in 2022.

Gabriel Bortoleto scored points in three of the last four races of the year, at the Austrian, Belgian, and Hungarian Grand Prix. With 14 points in total, the Brazilian sits 17th in the Drivers' Championship.

“It would be great to see him moving closer to the top in the coming years (…) He looks very promising. I'm sure he will be in Formula 1 for a long time,” Vettel concluded.

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