Ahead of the 2025 Austrian GP, rookie Gabriel Bortoleto struck a confident tone as he reflected on his growing comfort in Formula 1, the impact of Sauber’s recent upgrades, and the anticipation of returning to a track where he enjoyed success in the junior categories.
Encouraging upgrades and building momentum
Sauber has shown flashes of improvement in recent races, thanks in part to a crucial update introduced in Barcelona. The team is bringing further upgrades to the Austrian GP, and Bortoleto is hopeful they can build on recent momentum.
“Well, for sure, it’s good,” said Bortoleto in the press conference on Thursday. “In Barcelona, we brought this new upgrade that worked very well. So, we expect a jump again with the new parts. Obviously, we need to see how big it’s going to be, if it’s going to be as much as the one we brought in Barcelona or a bit smaller. We are only going to know tomorrow on track, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Bortoleto praised the team’s effort, noting their developmental direction appears to be paying off: “The team has been doing a very good job developing the car, still in a good way, for this year, and finding some lap time. Hopefully, we’re going in the right direction. At least that’s what it looks like. We’re getting closer and closer to fighting for points in a more constant way.”
He acknowledged how difficult it had been to fight for points earlier in the season. “Before Barcelona, unless there were big crashes ahead and a chaotic race, it was very tough to score points. From Barcelona on, I think we are at least in the fight now. Let’s see. Hopefully, this weekend will give us even more chances.”
One-Lap confidence and Race Craft development
Reflecting on his first half-season in Formula 1, Bortoleto assessed his performances with a mix of optimism and realism.
“I think I’m a bit more confident and comfortable with the car on one lap,” he explained. “Since the beginning of the year, the pace has been there in a one lap. Since Australia, I already felt quite comfortable.”
But Bortoleto acknowledged the steep learning curve in race conditions, particularly when comparing himself to experienced teammate Nico Hülkenberg: “Sometimes I feel like he still has a wider vision of the race than I do in the moment—what is happening around him, the strategy he’s going for, or the way he’s pushing or not at the beginning of the race to save the tyres. Stuff like this. Things you get with experience. As a rookie, you learn. And you can only learn doing these mistakes sometimes.“
Still, he remains satisfied with his progress. “So far, I’m quite happy. I feel like I’m extracting quite a lot of it in a one lap, as I said, and now we are making the jump in the right direction for the race pace.“
Familiar territory at Spielberg
The Red Bull Ring holds a special place in Bortoleto’s heart, having won there in Formula 2. While the circuit will pose new challenges in F1 machinery, he’s relishing the return.
“It’s definitely positive,” he said. “It’s better than going to a track that you don’t know, and you lose a bit of time understanding what you can do or not. But still, it’s a new track for me in F1, so it will be a bit different compared to F2.”
Yet the essence of the circuit continues to appeal to him: “I’m confident about it. I’m happy to be in Red Bull Ring. I have very good memories in this place, not only in F2, but in F3 and other series. Looking forward to the weekend.”
Pressed on what makes the circuit enjoyable, Bortoleto offered a driver’s insight: “I like this track. But since I didn’t actually have maybe great results here in the past, I always liked the way the circuit is made—the low speeds, the high speeds combined. I think it’s a track that is quite complete in this sense. You need to apply different techniques of driving through the lap to be fast.“
He continued: “I like this concept of tracks that you need to change your driving, adapt, and set up the car in a different way to behave in certain areas of the track compared to others. It’s just a bit like a mystery, and that’s why I like it so much.”
Brazilian passion and perspective
Finally, Bortoleto addressed the expectations and hopes of Brazilian fans—eight years since Felipe Massa’s departure left the country without an F1 driver. Now, many see Bortoleto as the next torchbearer. “Well, I think Brazil’s last driver was Massa, right? Eight years ago, something like this. And obviously, we are a country that won a lot in the sport back in the day.”
He acknowledged the weight of national passion and history: “There’s a lot of fans that didn’t actually watch Brazilian drivers winning in Formula 1 because they are new fans—football fans that saw Brazil win 20 years ago – and they miss the feeling of winning in a sport again.
“Obviously, Brazil has not been successful in the football World Cup recently, and in motorsports, in the last years, in the sense of winning a title. Even if we do well, we don’t win a title. Brazilian fans are very emotional people—that’s Brazil. That’s what I love about my country as well.”
But he believes those with a deep understanding of the sport recognise the current reality. “I think those that understand the sport and understand the difference between the cars, and that it’s a sport where you can actually develop a car—it’s not that everyone has the same chassis like in junior series where you just play with the set-up and make your car fast—those fans understand my situation right now. They just expect me to do better every race and improve with time and experience.”
Yet Bortoleto also had empathy for fans who might not grasp how different modern F1 is: “But maybe some people that don’t understand much about F1 and they look at Senna back in the 1980s, they think you can get any car and win a race in Monaco in the wet. And it’s not like this these days anymore. It’s not that easy. Not saying it cannot happen, but this is okay. I don’t mind these comments. It’s okay for me. I do my best on track, and that’s what I care about.”
A measured mindset amid rising expectations
As he enters the Austrian GP weekend, Bortoleto presents a compelling blend of realism and quiet confidence. His development trajectory is clear; his grasp of the sport’s demands is increasingly sharp, and his passion for racing is unmistakable.
With Sauber showing signs of improvement, the Austrian GP could be a place where Bortoleto takes another step forward—both for himself and for a country eager to see one of its own rise again.
