Ferrari implored to 'wake up' and sign highly-touted F1 rookie

Bernie Ecclestone believes Ferrari should turn its attention to Gabriel Bortoleto when looking to sign its next F1 driver.

The 94-year-old feels the Stake rookie is "worth his weight in gold" and played a part in helping the F2 champion secure his place on the grid.

The British business magnate and former F1 supremo has a farm in the 20-year-old's native Brazil, and his faith in Bortoleto already appears to be paying dividends.

Whilst team-mate Nico Hulkenberg has scored more points over the opening 14 rounds, including a popular maiden podium at Silverstone, Bortoleto has enjoyed the upper hand on the German in qualifying.

In addition to underlining his impressive one-lap pace, he scored his first points at the Austrian Grand Prix, before following that up with further top 10 results at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring.

His sixth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix was particularly noteworthy, having absorbed considerable pressure from Max Verstappen in the early phase of the race, keeping the Dutchman at bay.

Over the weekend on the outskirts of Budapest, Ecclestone shared his pride in Bortoleto's performances.

"I'm glad we were able to help the Bortoleto family with their entry into Formula 1," he said, according to Swiss-German outlet Blick. "The boy is worth his weight in gold!"

Now, he feels the Stake driver is doing enough to capture the attention of Ferrari, and could be a tailor-made replacement for Lewis Hamilton

Ecclestone has been outspoken on his opinion that seven-time F1 drivers' champion should consider stepping away from the Maranello-based squad and into retirement.

"Bortoleto’s strong performances in a midfield team like Sauber should really wake Ferrari up now," Ecclestone explained.

"The next driver question for the Italians needs to be resolved with the Brazilian."