Audi chose to continue with Sauber’s final Formula 1 driver line-up for 2026 as it transitioned from the Swiss squad, and it appears it will be unwilling to let go of its young talent.
Gabriel Bortoleto may have had a few Grands Prix in his debut year to get going, but once he did, the Brazilian’s bursting onto the scene, as it were, was an impressive one.
Nico Hulkenberg will have been a tough teammate to match, given his experience and consistency, but Bortoleto got much closer to his German counterpart as the season progressed.
And after 11 rounds this season as part of the Audi team, Bortoleto has 10 points to Hulkenberg’s two, emphasising the talent he possesses, having entered F1 straight from his Formula 2 triumph, succeeding his Formula 3 title the season previously.
He has certainly left an impression on those in the German marque, with Racing Director Allan McNish telling Motorsport.com of what it is that sets Bortoleto apart from other drivers.
“He’s very analytical in terms of the way he drives and builds up his speed,” he said. “And I think that’s something you can see by the way that he’s grown through this year and also through qualifying sessions, like in Spa, for example.
“In Formula 2 in Qatar, when he was leading, he pulled into the pits and they closed the pits due to a Safety Car or something, and he had to dive back out the pits, and because he crossed the white line, got a five-second penalty. How he reset and then went on in that race showed that he had a mental composure.”
“When you’ve got a mental composure – like he has the natural speed, but also an analytical way of delivering that speed – [it] gives you a lot of potential,” McNish continued.
“And now he’s starting to grow with the experience as well to deliver on it.”
Gabriel Bortoleto provides ‘very good balance’ with Hulkenberg
McNish pointed out that the contrast in Hulkenberg’s experience and Bortoleto’s “youthful enthusiasm” is a perfect blend for the Audi team.
“The thing that I like about him in addition to that is out of the car, he’s a positive, smiley person,” he explained. “So he’s nice to be around, he’s nice to have us around in the team as well. And with him and Nico, we’ve got a very good balance between the two of them because one’s got the experience and understands which way the wind blows just naturally and instinctively through that, and the other one’s got that youthful enthusiasm, and the two really feed off each other very, very well.”
It seems, also, that there is appreciation from within Audi for Bortoleto’s extreme work ethic, which no doubt is an identifiable trait compared to other drivers of his age.
“He is a very hard worker,” McNish said. “He is definitely the one that, you know, if there’s a sim session on 2 January, then he would be in the sim and he’d be working with Jose, his engineer. And it’s something that I think we need at the moment as well. We need drivers pushing us. We need drivers that are there supporting us when we need someone to jump in and hold the flag. Both are very much like that, and Gabi’s definitely in that vein.”
Bortoleto will be hoping to add to Audi’s points haul at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.
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