Motorsports
Gabriel Bortoleto: ‘my dream was so big’ - the long journey to F1
F1 Beyond The Grid›
Sep 9, 202555:39
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Episode Notes
Aged 11, Gabriel Bortoleto left Brazil, determined to make it in motorsport. His family’s passion, hard work and sacrifice gave him a start. His talent saw him accelerate towards a racing career. A two-time World Champion saw he was special, and helped guide him to Formula 1.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Gabriel looks back at his childhood, how his parents worked hard to fund his racing dream, how he made the difficult decision to leave them behind and go to Europe to further his career, and why Fernando Alonso’s support was essential as he climbed the racing ladder.
Winning the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championship titles earned Gabi a place in F1. He explains how he is adjusting to the driving and living in the World Championship, the pride he feels representing Brazil, what racing against experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg is teaching him, how his manager and on-track rival Alonso continues to help him, and why he spends hours on his home simulator immediately after every race weekend.
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This episode is sponsored by:
Vanta: visit vanta.com/ GRID to sign up for a free demo today!
SelectQuote: save more than fifty percent on term life insurance at selectquote.com/beyondthegrid
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"Gabriel Bortoleto: ‘my dream was so big’ - the long journey to F1" is an episode of F1 Beyond The Grid. Runtime 55 min. Published September 9, 2025. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
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- September 9, 2025.
- How long is this episode?
- 55 min.
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- F1 Beyond The Grid. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
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- F1 Beyond The Grid covers motorsports. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.