Gabriel Bortoleto Sets Ground Rules with Fernando Alonso

Gabriel Bortoleto and Fernando Alonso have set ground rules after their skirmish at the 2025 Saudi Arabian GP on May 1.

The incident occurred when Bortoleto almost squashed Alonso's Aston Martin into the wall on the outside of turn one during the 50-lap race.

Bortoleto was defending against Liam Lawson when Alonso got alongside him.

Alonso marginally missed ending his race due to the move by his protégé.

Given Alonso's temperament, if it had been any other driver, he would have reacted strongly.

However, Alonso played the incident down, joking about not offering Bortoleto dinner on their flight back home.

Their discussion led to the duo thrashing out ground rules for future races.

Brazilian F1 presenter Julianne Cerasoli revealed that Bortoleto needs to give Alonso a friendly gap in the classification.

In return, Alonso will guarantee Bortoleto rides on his private jet.

After the race, Bortoleto explained that the move was unintentional, as he had not seen Alonso charging down the outside.

He said: "I didn’t see him, I didn’t know that he was actually there."

Alonso will continue to groom the 20-year-old Bortoleto, who has a long way to go before learning the intricacies of wheel-to-wheel combat.

Bortoleto needs to keep his nose clean, as he is the one in the cockpit.

The incident also startled other drivers, including Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen.

Piastri joked about Alonso denying Bortoleto a seat on his private jet back to the UK.

The resolution between Bortoleto and Alonso will be put to the test at the Miami GP, which took place after the Saudi Arabian GP.

Bortoleto finished his fifth F1 race, and the experience will help him grow as a driver.

Alonso's guidance will be crucial in Bortoleto's development, and their relationship will be closely watched in the upcoming races.