Home to some of the greatest legends in Formula 1 history, Brazil endured seven long years without any representation on the sport’s biggest stage following Felipe Massa’s retirement in 2017. Fast-forward to today, when we are not only witnessing the sophomore campaign of the man who brought Brazil back to the category, but also hoping to see another Brazilian superstar join the grid next season — with many prodigies in other categories not far behind.
With Gabriel Bortoleto outperforming expectations and growing rumors of Rafael Câmara securing a seat at Haas in 2027, all eyes are once again turning to the country that gave us Ayrton Senna. Let’s take a deep dive into the three standout names shaping the present and coming in hot for the future of Brazilian motorsport.
Gabriel Bortoleto: the guy who is making Sundays special again
São Paulo’s native Gabriel Bortoleto — or Bibi to close friends — first stepped into a kart at just six years old. After standing out on the junior scene and becoming Brazilian Open champion, he moved to Europe at the tender age of twelve. He spent four more seasons refining his racecraft in competitive European karting before making his single-seater debut in 2020.
Following a fifth-place overall finish in Italian Formula 4 with Prema, Gabriel moved up to the Formula Regional European Championship, where he spent the two following years. In 2023, debuting in FIA Formula 3 with Trident, he won his very first race and went on to claim the championship title, becoming the first Brazilian driver in history to win the F3 crown. At the end of that incredible year, he signed with Invicta Virtuosi for the 2024 Formula 2 campaign.
Bortoleto fought a hard battle against Isack Hadjar (Campos Racing) in his first F2 season, showcasing mature race management alongside pure pace. He claimed his first-ever podium in Imola wearing a tribute helmet to Ayrton Senna — at the exact track where the legend raced for the last time — and ultimately clinched the championship title in Abu Dhabi. Finally, 2025 marked Gabriel’s first year in Formula 1 for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
After a frustrating start, with both drivers struggling with the car, Sauber introduced mid-season technical upgrades that led to Bortoleto scoring his first point of the season in Barcelona, making history as the youngest Brazilian ever to score points in F1. Even in a back-of-the-grid car, Gabriel handled the pressure with poise and ended his rookie year consistently matching the pace of veteran teammate Nico Hülkenberg, with plenty of praise from his mentor and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
Far from experiencing any sophomore slump, Bortoleto has taken full advantage of Audi’s evolving operation this year, having already secured double-digit points and proving that Brazil’s presence in Formula 1 is once again a long-term reality.
Rafaela Ferreira: a model for young girls in motorsport
Twenty-year-old Rafaela Ferreira’s love for racing began when she was just eight years old and took up karting as a hobby in her hometown of Criciúma, Santa Catarina. What started as pure weekend fun quickly developed into a serious sporting career as she became the first woman to secure pole position in the Brazilian Karting Cup.
In 2023, Rafa decided to take the next step in her career and joined TMC Racing in the Brazilian Formula 4 Championship, a key category on the road to Europe. Her rookie campaign made history when she reached the podium at Interlagos, becoming the first female driver to step onto a Brazilian F4 podium. Her second season was also one for the books: a lights-to-flag victory at the Autódromo Velocitta, cementing her name as the first woman to win an official Brazilian F4 race. Rafa also went on with two more wins, which, alongside her other podium finishes and pole positions, secured fourth overall in the drivers’ standings and helped TMG lift the teams’ trophy.
The momentum earned her an invitation to the 2025 F1 Academy season, the leading all-female racing championship designed to help young drivers on their path to elite open-wheel series. Now competing in her second season under the Visa Cash App RB development programme, Rafaela is the second Brazilian driver to race in F1 Academy — and certainly not the only one working to pave the way for new generations of women in racing.
Rafael Câmara: the next big thing in Formula 1?
Born in Recife in 2005, Rafael Câmara started racing in indoor karting at just six years old alongside his older brother. Moving down to São Paulo to race among the country’s stiffest competition, he was crowned Brazilian karting champion at thirteen before taking his talent to European kart circuits.
Dominating the European stage, Câmara secured the Champions of The Future, WSK Champions Cup and the WSK Master Cup — placing his name alongside the four-time world champion Max Verstappen. In 2021, the youngster received an invitation to try out for Ferrari’s Driver Academy, quickly signing him to their junior squad.
In his single-seaters debut in 2022 he won his first race in the Italian F4, finished runner-up in UAE F4 and placed third in both Italian and German F4, going wheel-to-wheel with rival Andrea Kimi Antonelli, currently leading this season’s F1 championship. Transitioning to FRECA with Prema, he went on to lift the championship trophy, becoming only the third driver in Ferrari Driver Academy history to win the competitive regional crown.
Rising quickly through the ranks, Câmara led the 2025 FIA F3 Championship with relative ease, taking four poles in five consecutive race weekends and securing the world title early in Hungary. Currently locked in a fierce, point-by-point battle for the 2026 Formula 2 championship alongside Bulgaria’s Nikola Tsolov, Câmara’s composure under pressure is on full display.
With testing appearances in Ferrari machinery and growing interest from American-owned Haas regarding a potential 2027 seat, Câmara is positioning himself right at the doorstep of the pinnacle of motorsport.
Are we about to see another Brazilian rise to the top of motorsport next season? We can only hope, but one thing is certain: the country’s racing future is shining bright all around!
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The article above was edited by Luiza Chucre.
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