Photo: Virtuosi Racing
Formula 3 champion and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto and new Alpine Academy signing Kush Maini will race for Virtuosi in Formula 2 next season.
Bortoleto won the F3 title at the first attempt in 2023 with Trident following two seasons in Formula Regional, and was signed soon afterwards to McLaren’s young driver programme.
He has not raced since the F3 finale at Monza in early September having skipped the Macau Grand Prix to focus on his move up to F2, where he will make his debut with Virtuosi in this week’s post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
“We will have a new car in the championship, and our first challenge will be to adapt quickly and efficiently to start the year on a high note,” he said.
“I am coming from a season of significant personal growth, culminating in the FIA F3 title. I hope to continue this process of evolution as a driver in 2024 and naturally become a victorious driver in the next stages of my career.”
Maini stepped up to F2 for 2023 after just one year in FIA F3 and scored some impressive early results with Campos Racing, including a sprint race podium in Melbourne, and finished 11th in the standings.
Prior to the final round in Abu Dhabi he announced mentorship from two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen, a place on the Alpine Academy and a reserve driver role with Mahindra in Formula E. He has also begun working with Guillaume Le Goff, the manager of Pierre Gasly.
On joining Virtuosi, Maini said: “They have a great pedigree in Formula 2 and, prior to that, in GP2, and I am looking forward to growing further as a racing driver with the team.
“A massive thank you to Virtuosi for putting their trust in me, and to the Alpine Academy and my management team for their support. I’ll do my best to hopefully bring many trophies back to the workshop.”
Virtuosi ran Jack Doohan to third in the 2023 standings with three feature race wins from the last five rounds. Its second driver Amaury Cordeel finished 20th, but team boss Andy Roche says the outfit is “expecting to achieve big things with such a strong duo” for next season.
“Gabriel has visited us at our base in Norfolk and kept in touch since his signing,” Roche said. “He’s left a good impression on everyone here and has quickly become part of the team. We were impressed by his adaptation to Formula 3 and, like everyone, are excited to see what he can do in 2024 as he continues to hone and add to his already admirable skillset.
“We’ve already spent considerable time with Kush since he first signed for the team and his mentality and approach align well with ours. He has shown dedication and an impressive work effort, and we look forward to helping him add to his F2 podium tally as he continues to improve as a racing driver.”