"I'm going to prove him wrong": Gabriel Bortoleto claps back at Helmut Marko for being called a 'B-Grade' driver by the Red Bull man

Stake F1 team Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto has said he will prove Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko wrong with his performances in the sport. The Brazilian driver is making his debut on the grid ahead of the 2025 season with the Hinwil-based outfit alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

After winning F3 and F2 in back-to-back years, the 20-year-old will be racing for arguably the slowest team on the grid. Bortoleto became only the fourth driver after Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri to win F3 and F2 in a rookie campaign and make his way onto the grid.

However, the rookie drew early criticism from Marko, who believed he was an "intelligent driver" but further classed him as a "B-Grade" driver. Speaking with Sky Sports ahead of his first race, Bortoleto strongly responded to Marko's claims and said:

"I think Helmut is the guy that has been in for a very long time in Formula One. He has put a lot of very talented drivers in Formula 1 in the past. But he also put probably more drivers that failed to be in Formula 1. I have, to be honest, respect for him for the achievements with the drivers that he put in like Max Verstappen for me, is one of the greatest of the sport."

The Brazilian added that he would turn the Red Bull man's views about him with his performances on the track:

"I think he has his opinions about me. I think I proved myself to be in Formula One. I won Formula 3 and Formula 2 as a rookie and I'm going to prove him wrong with time. But 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 that, 'OK, my opinion wasn't right,' and he will regret what he said."

Gabriel Bortoleto is one of five rookie drivers who will be making their debut on the grid in F1 at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

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Red Bull advisor gives his assessment of Gabriel Bortoleto's talent

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko stated that he could not see "pure speed" in Gabriel Bortoleto's arsenal while assessing his skills behind the wheel.

Speaking with Servus TV, the Austrian reflected on the Brazilian rookie and said:

"He’s a very intelligent driver: he won the Formula 3 championship but with only one win and he usually stays out of trouble. He is a driver who brings the car home safely, has a good command of strategy and tire management, but I don’t see that pure speed in him."

Bortoleto won the F3 title driving from the Trident Racing team while capturing the F2 title with Invicta. He is currently managed by two-time F1 world champion and Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso.