When he aligned the Sauber on the F1 Australian GP grid in March this year at the Albert Park circuit, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto was the newcomer who came with the slightest experience with F1 cars. Despite the titles at F3 and F2 in its first year in each category, the Brazilian was still seen at Paddock as an unknown – the point of being called by Helmut Marko, Red Bull consultant, as “pilot B” on the eve of the Australian race.
Six months later, the Brazilian’s image is completely different. Alongside Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, he is considered the best newcomer of the year, even surpassing other hipped names and in state -of -the -art teams such as Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes. After scoring points for the first time at F1 at the Austria GP, Bortoleto amended an impressive series of good results, marking points consistently and always ahead of his experienced teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, who has over 240 F1 races.
Not by chance, Bortoleto’s name began to be mentioned in vacancies where current riders are not delivering the expected performance – the Red Bull team itself. Bernie Ecclestone, former owner of the category and influential name at Paddock to this day, said Bortoleto would be the ideal name for a team like Ferrari, in place of Lewis Hamilton.
The Brazilian, however, makes a point of saying that it is still focused on the long -term project with its current team, which will become Audi from 2026. Bortoleto has a contract for next season – or even more years with the team, as the duration of the agreement was not disclosed. The fact is that the Sauber pilot admits that his image at Paddock is different, as he told in an exclusive interview for Sheet In Baku, on the eve of the GP of Azerbaijan.
“Obviously it is good for you to have a progress in the year as I have had: It’s nice to see the advance. I started with little mileage, and I have been able to evolve a lot during the year, learn, previous races and see what I could have done better. I think this is a philosophy that we have. And obvious, I’m very committed to the project I am. Calling attention. This is common when you are doing a good job.
Of course, if you have good results, it ends up drawing attention. This is common when you are doing a good job. But we are well focused on the project we have and we will continue to fight
In the championship, the Brazilian follows behind Hulkenberg in the points table, especially due to the German podium at the GP of England, played under the wet track in Silverstone. Only there, the German scored 15 points – he has 37 against 18 of the Brazilian. But since England, only Bortoleto scored points at Sauber, showing the evolution of the pilot he makes in 2025 his debut in F1. “When you have good results, people start respecting you a little more. This is common, I think in any category you participate in the world,” said Bortoleto.
The Hungary GP has been especially remarkable for the Brazilian’s career so far. In addition to getting his best result in the category (sixth place), he was ahead of cars like Max Verstappen’s Red Bull herself. It was also Bortoleto who insisted that Sauber would change the car adjustment to make it more competitive in the locked Budapest circuit, and the changes suggested by the Brazilian worked.
The maturity demonstrated in teamwork is also highlighted as a point in favor of Bortoleto with this new image of the Brazilian in F1, as explained by Jonathan Wheatley, team of Sauber team. With over 30 years of experience in the category, in teams such as Benetton, Renault and Red Bull, the Briton worked with champions such as Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen himself – he left the Austrian team last season.
HAS Sheet Wheatley claimed to be very proud of Bortoleto’s debut season at F1 so far.
“When you hire a young pilot, you have to have a long -term vision. What impressed me with Gabriel was his work ethics. His desire to get the best of everyone around him, each of the engineers, everyone around him. His hunger for knowledge and guide, and what I can do better. And I spent a lot of time talking about it, and he and matia [Binotto, chefe do projeto Audi na F1]. And look what Bortoleto is doing, he’s fast, only 20 years old. It’s incredibly impressive, “he says.
With the transformation of the team into Audi in 2026, the goals will also grow, as well as the pressure on the pilots. In addition, there will be a sudden change of regulation, and the team expects to start their journey as the official F1 team competitively in the first year. Wheatley says the expectation is to rely on Bortoleto’s talent to make progress even faster in 2026.
“If you look at his career, he has been incredibly linked to the teams he is, even the kart teams he is. He could have jumped to put himself in a better position, but built a team around him, and I believe he has become part of this team. Mattia’s work and mine is to give him the best atmosphere for him, to feel that this team will be supported. And if we create this environment, it will be, “says Wheatley.
With seven stages for the end of 2025, Bortoleto will already have plenty of reasons to make his debut year in F1 as something special. But, as a factory pilot from 2026, their status will also change at Paddock, with more pressure, certainly, but also with the potential to continue surprising to those who doubted their potential on this year’s Australia GP.
