Fernando Alonso's cheeky dig at F1 driver who overhears Spaniard mid-interview

Fernando Alonso playfully claimed Aston Martin "were a lot faster than Sauber", just as their driver and his close friend Gabriel Bortoleto walked past him. The Spaniard was speaking following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the 20-year-old Brazilian had been breathing down his throughout the race.

The pair scrapped it out for fifth place, with Alonso ultimately passing the chequered flag seven seconds before Bortoleto, securing 10 championship points for Aston Martin. Despite this, the F1 rookie managed to keep Alonso's team-mate Lance Stroll at bay by a slender two-second gap to claim sixth spot.

Following the race, the Aston Martin star spoke with the media ahead of the sport's three-week summer break. Whilst Alonso was reflecting on his display, he noticed Bortoleto walking behind him and seized the opportunity to have a cheeky pop at the Sauber driver.

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Alonso said: "Yeah, it feels good and we were a lot faster than the Sauber you know," beaming as he watched Bortoleto turning around to give him a little bit of grief.

Bortoleto wandered back over, and the duo shared a warm embrace after having a good chuckle about it.

Alonso has maintained a strong friendship with the promising driver for quite some time, ever since the legend helped launch Bortoleto's career back in 2022. Speaking to F1.com, the rising star recalled the moment he was battling to secure a place in an F3 team, when his father happened to meet Alonso at a Red Bull event.

Bortoleto said: "We had so many issues in 2022. We were not being followed by anyone at the time. It was just me and my father and I didn't have an opportunity to go to F3 at the time.

"We didn't know how difficult it was to get a seat in F3. We thought, 'Oh we're still in July, we have time.' Then I started hearing PREMA was full, Trident was almost full and I thought maybe we should start pushing for it.

"It's not easy, you need to find the sponsors to help you get there. Then my father went to race in the Red Bull Ring with some friends. He met Fernando and Alberto and Albert."

After this chance encounter with the F1 icon, Bortoleto secured a deal with Alonso's management company, A14, which he runs alongside his two associates, Alberto Fernández Albilares and Albert Resclosa Coll.

Reflecting on this partnership, the 20-year-old added: "Fernando knew who I was as I raced for his team in FRECA [the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine]. I had some great results for the team like the first podium, the first front row.

"Both of us wanted to be together, me having a good management team, and them trusting in a young driver who could potentially do good results in the future.

"They called Trident and it was quite a crazy thing. Everything worked out very well. We signed, we won the championship – and it became very nice."

Following that breakthrough, Bortoleto secured F3 and F2 championships in 2023 and 2024 before signing a deal with Kick Sauber for the 2025 F1 campaign.

The promising youngster acknowledges Alonso's impact as a pivotal moment in his racing journey, explaining how the Spaniard's backing has enhanced his reputation within the sport.

"We have a very good relationship with each other," Bortoleto said. "I think it's mainly a professional relationship. Always when we talk, it's mainly about racing. When I see him on track, if I have any questions, he always helped me in F3 and F2.

"I can say I'm very grateful for all the advice he has given me the last two years. He has been very good to me. He's willing to help and teach me. It's a great thing to have him behind.

"It's a strong name to have behind you. When you have Fernando Alonso managing you, it's a bit different because they know it's someone like him trusting you can be a future talent."