Alonso provides Bortoleto update as Stake seat rumours grow

Fernando Alonso insists F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto needs time to develop and to graduate to F1 at the "right time", but did not rule him out the running for the vacant Stake drive.

The young Brazilian is one of a handful of names under consideration for the seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg, along with Sauber junior and 2023 F2 champion Theo Pourchaire, Franco Colapinto and current Stake drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

A member of the McLaren's driver academy, Bortoleto has been taken under Alonso's wing as the two-time drivers' champion's protégé.

Having won the FIA F3 title at the first time of asking last season, the 19-year-old leads Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar by 4.5 points in his rookie F2 campaign with two rounds remaining.

However, mentor Alonso has cautioned against rushing him to the top step of the pyramid, warning against "shortcuts" that could prove costly in the future.

"He's an incredible talent," the 43-year-old told media including RacingNews365 ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

"But, at the same time, Brazil has a lot of history in Formula 1. A lot of background in great drivers, and maybe some pressure as well.

"We need to give Gabriel his time as well. His time in Formula 1 will arrive. We don't need to take any shortcut that can compromise the development of his talent.

"He needs to get to in the right time and when he's totally prepared, and in the right team and the right environment - that's the biggest challenge, to combine the pressure and the motivation to get to F1 to the common sense when it's the best time."

Whilst it has since emerged that Bottas is expected to sign with Stake for 2025, as confirmed by RacingNews365.

That likely rules out the others from a full-time F1 drive next season, with only the RB seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda still unclaimed.

However, Alonso was quick to highlight that he was not suggesting Bortoleto was no longer an option for the team before the Bottas development unfolded.

When asked by RacingNews365 if it was the case that the F3 reigning champion was out of contention, Alonso replied: "No, no, no. I think the team has to make some decisions. And for sure, Gabriel is very appealing for everybody at the moment."

Whether that remains the case, Alonso also made it clear that Bortoleto being part of the McLaren driver programme would not be an obstacle to an F1 seat elsewhere on the grid, stating: "There are never problems in Formula 1 - everything can be adjusted."