Gabriel Bortoleto produced a strong qualifying performance at the F1 Italian GP, securing seventh on the grid for tomorrow’s race. Bortoleto’s pace throughout the weekend has shown a steady progression. He finished 11th in FP1 and 12th in FP2 before improving to sixth in FP3. This consistency translated into qualifying, where he maintained seventh in Q1 and Q2, and finished Q3 in eighth but moved up a position due to Lewis Hamilton’s five-place grid penalty.
When asked about this consistency, Bortoleto was happy with the weekend to date.
Nonetheless, he felt more was possible in Q3 as his last lap was scruffy.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the weekend has been very positive. I feel like that lap in Q3 with new tyres, maybe I could have extracted a bit more, had a new snaps. The car was very much in the edge and I was pushing a lot as well. But anyway, I think, looking at the gaps and everything, I think I’m happy where we are, you know. And we achieved a very solid result for the team.”
Bortoleto ended Q3 with a lap time of 1:19:390, just 0.190 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli, who qualified sixth with a 1:19:200, showing how tight the top positions were.
Navigating the ‘Temple of Speed’
The Sauber driver also commented on the team’s strategy and approach to Monza’s high-speed layout, going ultra low on downforce. Autodromo Nazionale Monza, known as the ‘Temple of Speed,’ is a 5.793km circuit with 53 laps and two DRS zones.
When asked about the team’s choice of setup, Bortoleto explained, “Yeah, we thought about it when we were deciding what to use in this track, you know. Racing is the main topic and top speed, so I think we are in a good position for tomorrow.”
Race strategy
Looking ahead to the race, Bortoleto remained cautious but optimistic. “I mean, I don’t know. We need to see, you know, it’s time to have a look at the data now and understand what we can achieve. I think it’s going to be a tough race, you know, a long race tomorrow, and, you know, a lot of DRS zones. And yeah, let’s try to keep people behind and even attack if possible. That would be great.”
Bortoleto’s performance highlights the competitive capabilities of the Brazilian driver on Monza’s demanding circuit. With top-speed efficiency and a good strategy, he is in a strong place to challenge for points and potentially move further up the order during tomorrow’s race.
