Gabriel Bortoleto fires back at Helmut Marko ‘B driver’ jibe
Gabriel Bortoleto delivers classy response to comments made by Red Bull's Helmut Marko.
F1 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has delivered a classy response to criticism from Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.
The 20-year-old Brazilian is preparing to contest his debut F1 season with backmarkers Sauber after winning back-to-back titles in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Marko rated Bortoleto as only a “B driver” as he assessed the 2025 crop of F1 rookies.
“I’d rate him a B driver,” Marko told ServusTV. “He’s a very intelligent racer - he won the Formula 3 championship [in 2023], but with only one victory. He tends to stay out of trouble.
“In Formula 2, he had only two wins. He’s a driver who brings the car home, has a solid grasp of strategy and tyre management, but I don’t see that ultimate speed in him.”
Bortoleto was asked about Marko’s comments in Melbourne, to which he responded in a firm but respectful manner.
“I think Helmut is a guy who has been in F1 for a very long time. He has put a lot of very talented drivers in Formula 1 in the past, but he also put probably more drivers that failed in Formula 1” Bortoleto told Sky Sports.
“I have respect for him for the achievements he has had with drivers like Max Verstappen. For me, he’s one of the greatest of the sport.
“Everyone can have opinions - we live in a free world. He has his opinions about me. I think I’ve proved myself to be in Formula 1. I won Formula 2 and Formula 3 as a rookie.”
And Bortoleto is determined to prove Marko wrong and make the 81-year-old Austrian eat his words.
“I’m going to prove him wrong, it’s just a matter of time,” he added. “Nothing I can say to the media right now will change his mind because it’s just talking and talking.
“The only thing I can do now is head to the track and prove that his argument was wrong and hopefully with time he will admit ‘okay my opinion wasn’t right’ and he will regret what he said.
"But I have done this in the past as well. I have said things which I regret and I don’t agree with nowadays, it’s normal. I’m not going to make a big thing about it.”
Bortoleto has Alonso on his side
Bortoleto arrives in F1 highly rated and has been signed to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso’s A14 management company.
“His dedication and his professionalism towards racing has been probably the most impressive thing,” Alonso told media in Melbourne.
“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.”
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