THE KICKSTART KID

We catch up trackside with new rookie GABRIEL BORTOLETO as he gears up for his first ever Australian Formula One Grand Prix...

- REILLY SULLIVAN

Stake F1 Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto has been waiting his entire life for this moment. The 20-year-old Brazilian is relaxed and cheery as we sit down in the paddock ahead of his first ever Formula 1 race in Melbourne's Albert Park. F1 driver pairings are typically shotgun weddings and this year's line up at Sauber pairs Bortoleto with grid veteran Nico Hulkenberg. The lime green team is located at the far end of the paddock to reflect the team's last place finish in 2024.

There's an unfortunate air of low expectations, with the consensus being Bortoleto just needs to cling on until 2026, when welcome regulation changes are set to take effect and close the gap between the top four teams and everyone else. Next year will also see Sauber officially rebrand as Audi, meaning a lot more investment and higher hopes for the team in the midfield. Gabriel also joins F1 amid one of the biggest shake ups to the grid in years which has essentially ushered in a new era for the sport and lots of new names to remember.

The class of 2025 rookies include Aussie Jack Doohan, Kimi Antonelli, Isaac Hadjar and Oliver Bearman. Despite being within spitting distance of F1, the differences between F2 and F1 are vast. The quantum leap from Formula 2 to Formula One sees drivers say goodbye to poorly attended press conferences and become international celebrities overnight. For Bortoleto, it means becoming the pride of Brazil, or at least São Paulo, when the Formula One rolls into town in November. The South American nation's history in the sport is illustrious including the likes of Nelson Piquet, Rubens Barrichello and arguably the sport's greatest ever driver Aryton Senna.