Photo: Alejandro Alonso Lopez
Gabriel Bortoleto sealed the 2023 FIA Formula 3 title in qualifying at Monza today, and shortly after spoke to Formula Scout about his first feelings as champion.
“It’s amazing. It’s a dream coming true for me. Rookie season, F3 champion,” he said. “Everything is so new for me, I’m still very confused.I didn’t realise what that [meant] and how big it is, for sure. Maybe in some days, maybe not. Who knows?
“Now I’m focused on doing a good job in the teams’ championship, that is still open to win, and then we keep pushing.”
The Trident driver entered the season finale with a 38-point lead, and with 39 available to score. His rivals Paul Aron and Pepe Marti could only take the title battle into Saturday if either took pole. But neither did, so Bortoleto became champion by qualifying fifth. Formula Scout asked if he had nerves beforehand, despite his big points lead.
“No, not at all. I think I was very relaxed, because I think it was something very clear for me that if I did my job like I did today, like finishing in the top five was already let’s say good enough to score points in the sprint and in the feature race. And that was the case.
“Aron, even if he did the pole, there was the race tomorrow that I could have easily scored some points, and at the end of the day he didn’t score the pole today. So, yeah, crowned champion.”
It was Bortoleto’s first title since karting, and he arrived in F3 after coming sixth in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship.
“It’s amazing. I believe that a rookie season is never easy to nail it, perfectly, because it’s a good championship. I mean only in terms of consistency it was amazing as well [before even looking at the wins]. So it’s not easy, it’s not easy at all to make a championship consistent like it was, but I need also to thank the team because there was zero problems with the whole year. So I can’t thank them enough.”
A14 Management, the Fernando Alonso-launched firm that oversees Bortoleto’s career, spoke to Formula Scout afterwards.
“We are very, very happy, very proud for Gabriel because it’s his first season in FIA F3. It was very challenging for him. A new championship, a new team. Everything for him was new, as well a new management. So it was a big challenge.
“He’s very, very dedicated, he works very hard. The outcome of today is not by casualness. So seven days a week, 24/7, he only thinks about motorsport, performance. Gabriel is living full-time in Europe, it’s his decision, and it’s only because of motorsport. So we are super happy to have him onboard, to work for him.
“However Monday it’s a new week, and we start a new season. Today is a very nice day, but tomorrow is a normal day, the day after as well, and we go ahead and we start already preparing the next season.”