"There’s a real vested interest": David Coulthard claims Fernando Alonso has fueled Gabriel Bortoleto’s meteoric ascent to F1

Former F1 driver David Coulthard has claimed Fernando Alonso has a "vested interest" in Gabriel Boroleto's Formula 1 career. The Brazilian is set to drive for Sauber in the 2025 season alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

As Sauber was swapping its current lineup, there was a choice between keeping Valtteri Bottas or signing Mick Schumacher. Reportedly, Alonso suggested Bortoleto's name as well, who is a driver under the A14 Management team. The Spaniard took up this initiative and it helps young and promising drivers with better training and overall management. As a result, Bortoleto is set to be the first driver under this management team to hit the F1 grid in the 2025 season.

David Coulthard feels that Fernando Alonso thus has a great interest in the young Brazilian's F1 career. He mentioned that the 43-year-old is present during Bortoleto's podium ceremonies.

"That’s going to be interesting for Fernando Alonso because you know, Bortoleto has won the F3 Championship, he’s leading F2," Coulthard said on the Formula for Success podcast (2:19). "We regularly see Fernando standing below the podium during a Grand Prix weekend when he’s out there getting those results. So there’s a real vested interest there for Fernando."

Gabriel Bortoleto is currently in his first Formula 2 season and is leading the championship. He has been promising in the junior series, also winning the Formula 3 Championship in 2023.

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Fernando Alonso had "very little" influence in Bortoleto's signing, claims Sauber's Mattia Binotto

While Fernando Alonso is indirectly involved in Bortoleto's career through A14 Management, Mattia Binotto, Sauber's COO, claims the Spaniard did not strongly advocate for the 20-year-old's signing.

Binotto mentioned that while he was in contact with Alonso on the grid, the latter did not pressure or strongly influence them to sign the driver. In the end, it was the team's decision to do so.

"The answer is very easy: Very little, if not nothing," PlanetF1 quoted Binotto, when asked if Alonso influenced the team to sign the driver.

"I know very well Fernando from past experience. We met in the paddock but he never influenced. He never tried really to come to me with a convincing argument because I think what convinced me was Gabriel, nothing else. So no with Fernando. Yes, I had one chat, but really, very, very little."

Sauber has faced a dry run in the 2024 season. Heading into Qatar, the team hadn't scored any points with drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou. Zhou ended that run with a P8 finish at the Qatar GP, taking the team up to four points. 2025 will also mark the team's final year as Sauber as Audi will take over in the following season.