Photo: © IMAGO

Sergio Perez’s Red Bull dismissal at the end of last year has enabled one of Formula 1’s rising talents to land his big ‘break’ with a multinational sponsor.

The Mexican was axed by the Milton Keynes-based outfit after enduring a miserable season which saw him fail to finish on the podium for 19 consecutive races.

But despite his struggles on the track, he remained attractive to some of the world’s most high-profile sponsors due to his loyal army of followers across the world.

Indeed, Nestle was one of his biggest backers, with the KitKat logo featuring on his helmet throughout 2024, before the chocolate brand was named an official partner of F1 prior to the new season.

And rookie Gabriel Bortoleto is now reaping the benefits following Perez’s exit after appearing in a new Instagram advert promoting the product in his home country of Brazil earlier this week.

The caption accompanying the image of the 20-year-old in his KitKat-themed race suit said: “After an intense start to the championship, that time between one GP and another will be like this: a well-deserved break and with a lot of KitKat.

“So, is there a better way to enjoy the break?”

Bortoleto steps into Perez’s shoes

Perez is still an ambassador for the company, and recently took part in a number of hilarious advertising campaigns on social media.

The 35-year-old is taking a sabbatical from the pressures of F1, but has not yet confirmed his retirement from the sport.

He is one of a number of names linked with a seat at Cadillac next year, who will be making their debut alongside fellow new boys, Audi.

Bortoleto has already been confirmed as one half of the latter’s lineup alongside Nico Hulkenberg, with the pair currently competing for Sauber.

However, he has found it to be a steep learning curve so far, and is one of just four drivers yet to get off the mark after six outings this season.