Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto has reflected on the challenges of his rookie F1 season. Offering insights ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP, he spoke on car struggles, mental resilience, and his hopes for the future.
Bortoleto’s thoughts on Jeddah Pace
The Sauber rookie described the sheer speed of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with excitement. Bortoleto, previously raced at the circuit in Formula 2, was asked what it felt like to experience the track in an F1 car, at least on the simulator.
“Well, it feels crazy fast,” Bortoleto said.
“Definitely very different approaches as well on driving technique compared to F2. Probably one of the tracks where you’re going to have the most difference in the way you drive compared to Formula 2, especially in the first sector with the high speeds. So, very interesting. I’m looking forward to trying it.”
Last year, during the Formula 2 race, the champion had a rough weekend. Finishing P10 in the sprint, and DNF’ing the feature race. The Brazilian driver, despite his hard start to 2025, will want to improve on these results, hoping for a points finish this weekend.
Learning from the struggles of Bahrain
Reflecting on a challenging weekend in Bahrain, Bortoleto revealed how struggles with overtaking and traffic shaped his dead last finish.
“It was a tough weekend, definitely in the race. I got a bit stuck behind Stroll in the last stint after the Safety Car and couldn’t get past, even if I felt that I had more pace. Just super difficult.”
Bortoleto and teammate Nico Hülkenberg have both emphasised how hard it is to overtake in the current Sauber package. The reigning F2 champion broke down what it feels like behind the wheel when stuck in dirty air.
“Definitely dirty air is for everyone, but we seem to struggle quite a lot to overtake. When we get too close to people, it just feels like you lose a lot of aerodynamics and downforce. It’s tough.”
These challenges have made it difficult for the pair as even when there’s pace in the car, getting close enough to make a move has proven difficult.
“Sometimes we feel we have the pace—maybe not to score points yet—but at least better than the guys we are around. Then, as soon as we get close, we just lose quite a lot of grip. It’s been quite tough to overtake.”
A season of adjustments for the rookie
Bortoleto’s transition into F1 has not come with the results he’s been used to. With an average starting position of 17.3 and no points yet, the Brazilian opened up about the mental side of coping with this new challenge.
“It’s not easy, if I’m honest. You come from two championships—you’re used to being in this room, but actually after a race, because you win or you are on the podium. Now, for us it’s already a mega job if you’re going to Q2 or fighting for Q3.”
This tough start to his F1 career is not getting the Sauber driver worried. As he draws inspiration from those who have been in similar positions to himself.
“If you see George Russell at the beginning of his Formula 1 career, I don’t think he scored a point in his first season. And now he’s one of the best drivers on the grid.”
The key, according to Bortoleto, is patience and long-term focus. The young driver is confident in his own skills and the team surrounding him; ultimately, it is only a matter of time before good results begin to come.
“There’s nothing much I can do right now—just learn, try to grow as a driver in these tough moments and do a better job every race weekend. Get better, because I’m not fighting for points right now—that’s the realistic situation.”
Embracing the consistency of F1
F1 has pushed through a dense early-season calendar with five races in six weekends, something many of the Formula 2 graduates are not used to. However, despite this chaotic schedule, Bortoleto welcomes this challenge with open arms.
“I really think it’s definitely a lot of races. But it’s just the beginning of my career, so I just want to keep racing and keep driving.”
Like any young driver starting in Formula 1, he is eager to keep hitting the track and making progress in his Formula 1 career.
“If I could have another race next weekend, I would be very happy as well.”
