18-year-old Brazilian was one of the fastest in pre-season

This weekend the FIA F3 Championship starts. The competition, recognized as one of the last steps of drivers aiming for a place in Formula 1, will have this season 10 rounds, always in a system of double stages, all of them held as preliminary races of the World Championship of F1.

After two seasons competing in the European Regional Formula, the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto is one of the new stars of the series. The 18-year-old from São Paulo will compete for the Italian team Trident Motorsport and, in his retrospect, brings very positive performances in the post-season tests 2022 – held in Jerez de La Frontera – Spain and, two weeks ago, in the 2023 pre-season testing, held at the Bahrein Autodrome, in the Middle East.

With a bold driving and very fast style, Bortoleto is part of the new generation of drivers that has been facing each others for some years, since the disputes of the main karting championships in the world as Gabriele Mini, Paul Aron, Dino Beganovic, Sebastian Montoya, among others.

The track of the Bahrain International Circuit has a length of 5,412 meters, characteristics of medium-high speed and in all has four big straights permeated by 15 curves. Having drove over 800 km of pre-season testing on this same track, Gabriel is quite confident for the start of the season.

“I am very excited for this start of work here at FIA F3. I have been preparing since very early and, year after year, I can evolve in terms of driving and, of course, knowledge of the tracks and equipment. I have worked hard with the team since the end of the year in developing our set for 2023 and the best proof of this was the times we achieved in pre-season testing. Without any kind of pressure we go to this first stage in search of the best results and, with tranquility, in the search for the first positions”, concluded the 18-year-old.

EXCITING START

On Friday morning, the track program began with the only free practice session of the weekend. The drivers had 45 minutes of free track to seek all the necessary adjustments both for race conditions and also for qualifying. Bortoleto was the fastest driver on the track and ended the session with the first place setting a time of 1m47s775.

The qualifying will be held at 10 am (Brasilia time). Tomorrow will be held the Sprint Race, scheduled to start at 6:15 am and, on Sunday, the Feature Race, at 5:50 am. All schedule will be broadcasted Live by Band Sports.

Pictures: James Gasperoti – KTF Sports

Press office of Gabriel Bortoleto

Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick