Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Gabriel Bortoleto fires back at Helmut Marko criticism ahead of F1 debut

by Dan Lawrence
6 months ago
A A
Reigning F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto has hit back at criticism made by Helmut Marko

Reigning F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto has hit back at criticism made by Helmut Marko

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Sauber Formula 1 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has hit back at criticism made by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko ahead of his debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

Bortoleto joins Sauber having stamped his name in the record books as a back-to-back rookie champion in Formula 3 and 2.

Still, despite the Brazilian showing championship winning pedigree, Marko has made scathing comments about the Sauber debutante. 

Marko rated Bortoleto as a “B driver’ in conversation with Servus TV, praising the Brazilian’s intelligence but casting doubts over his raw speed.

RelatedPosts

Isack Hadjar earned huge acclaim from his fellow drivers after his maiden F1 podium

How F1 rivals reacted to Isack Hadjar’s first podium at Dutch GP

44 minutes ago
Max Verstappen wowed Red Bull and the home crowd on the opening lap of the Dutch GP

How Max Verstappen ‘amazed’ Red Bull with F1 Dutch GP opening-lap save

2 hours ago

Naturally then, Bortoleto was quizzed on those remarks during his first media day as an F1 driver down under in Melbourne, Australia and he was defiant.

“I don’t care,” he began, telling select media including Motorsport Week “I’ve seen that and I love challenges. 

“Hearing that from Helmut, he’s a guy who has put a lot of talent in Formula 1 and has put a lot of wrong talents in F1. 

“So you can see he got it right and wrong and hopefully I will prove him wrong with the time. 

“But nothing I say now in the media will change his mind, just my results on track. 

“I’m sure I’ll prove him wrong at some point and hopefully he will admit this when I prove him wrong. 

“For now I’m just focussing on doing my job and improving and doing the best I can.”

Bortoleto concluded his defiant response by saying his title victories in the junior categories meant he’s beaten several of Marko’s Red Bull junior prospects. 

“I’m proud of what I did in the junior series and I won in F2 and F3 against the Red Bull drivers he has, so good for me,” the Sauber driver retorted.

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko referred to Gabriel Bortoleto as a 'B driver'
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko referred to Gabriel Bortoleto as a ‘B driver’

Alonso: Bortoleto is ‘the best’ of F1’s rookies

Two drivers in the F1 paddock are well aware of what Bortoleto can bring to the table and those are his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and manager Fernando Alonso.

“I think we get on really well – he’s a really nice guy, a smart kid, fast as hell,” Hulkenberg said, reflecting on pre-season testing.

“He learns really quickly. He did his first race sim here [Bahrain] at the test, so I look forward to work alongside him.”

Bortoleto is represented by Alonso’s A14 Management group and the veteran Spaniard has always been glowing in his praise of the young charger, citing his “dedication” and classing him the top talent among F1’s five rookies.

“His dedication and his professionalism towards racing has been probably the most impressive thing,” Alonso said.

“Since day one he was very committed to work hard for his dreams and already in Formula Regional Europe but then in Formula 3 and then Formula 2, each race was very well prepared and a very mature approach.

“He deserves to be in Formula 1 and hopefully a long career here and successful.

“He has been the best rookie of this next generation. We see so many rookies into F1 this year and he has been the best of them.

“Maybe he hasn’t had the car at the moment to match their results the first year but hopefully people don’t forget what he did in the last two.”

READ MORE – Nico Hulkenberg expecting test from ‘fast as hell’ Sauber F1 team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto

Tags: AusGPAustralianGPF1Gabriel BortoletoMarkoSauber
Share269Tweet168Share

Related Posts

Isack Hadjar earned huge acclaim from his fellow drivers after his maiden F1 podium
Formula 1

How F1 rivals reacted to Isack Hadjar’s first podium at Dutch GP

44 minutes ago
Max Verstappen wowed Red Bull and the home crowd on the opening lap of the Dutch GP
Formula 1

How Max Verstappen ‘amazed’ Red Bull with F1 Dutch GP opening-lap save

2 hours ago
Power has been a staple at Team Penske for over a decade. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
IndyCar

Will Power released after 17 years with Team Penske

3 hours ago
Load More

Discussion about this post

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
15Dutch GP29-31 August
16Italian GP05-07 September
17Azerbaijan GP19-21 September
18Singapore GP03-05 October
19United States GP17-19 October

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri309
Lando Norris275
Max Verstappen205
George Russell184
Charles Leclerc151
Lewis Hamilton109
Andrea Kimi Antonelli64
Alexander Albon64
Nico Hulkenberg37
Isack Hadjar37

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

Isack Hadjar earned huge acclaim from his fellow drivers after his maiden F1 podium
Formula 1

How F1 rivals reacted to Isack Hadjar’s first podium at Dutch GP

September 2, 2025
Max Verstappen wowed Red Bull and the home crowd on the opening lap of the Dutch GP
Formula 1

How Max Verstappen ‘amazed’ Red Bull with F1 Dutch GP opening-lap save

September 2, 2025
Oscar Piastri won the Dutch GP from pole position
Feature

Motorsport Week’s F1 2025 Dutch GP Driver Ratings

September 2, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd