Gabriel Bortoleto qualified P16 for the 2026 F1 Chinese GP. Unfortunately, he spun out in the last corner in Q2. He was stuck in the gravel for valueable seconds. He was able to get out of the gravel by himself but that incident ended Bortoleto’s Chinese GP Qualifying session early.
Bortoleto reflects on his 2026 China GP Qualifying
The Brazilian F1 driver was pleased with his Q1 lap in the 2026 Chinese HP Qualifying. In Q2, Gabriel Bortoleto struggled with the balance of his Audi.
Compared to Q1, he states that the car and the balance felt better than in Q2. In fact, he had been P7 in the opening segment. He felt that the final run in Q2 was an improvement but wasn’t sure if it was enough to get into Q3.
The 21-year-old explained that he tried a bit too hard in the last corner since it had worked for him last year. Ultimately, it caused him to spin out this year.
“It was a good lap in Q1. I think we just, I struggled a little bit in Q2 with the balance. Q1 felt very good with the car and balance in that lap and then in Q2 just couldn’t put things together. Maybe I tried a bit too hard in the last corner there and lost a bit the rear. I knew the lap was okay, it was improving, it’s going to be a good lap. Not sure it was enough to Q3, so maybe I tried a bit too hard trying to aim for a high and it worked out last year. This year it didn’t really work out.”
Bortoleto spins out, ending Qualifying early
Spinning out in the final corner meant missing out of Q3 for Gabriel Bortoleto. There was only one minute left on the clock.
Bortoleto was stuck in the gravel for several seconds before he was able to recover his F1 car and return to the pitd.
Fortunately, there was no further damage to the car. “I touched the barrier but everything was alright,” Bortoleto makes clear. “I just put first gear and came back to the pits.”
With the time running out, Bortoleto’s 2026 F1 Chinese GP Qualifying ended there.
“But anyway, I had no more time to put any other set of new tyres, so the quali was over for me.”
More learnings for Audi F1 Team during 2026 Chinese GP weekend
The 2026 Chinese GP is Sprint weekend – which basically means there are two Qualifying sessions. Shanghai International is a different energy demanding track than Albert Park in Melbourne.
Bortoleto says that this type of battling feels different compared to Australia: “I must say, yes, it’s very different somehow for us as a team. We have been feeling very different drivability, everything.
“But I think it’s the same for everyone,” Gabriel Bortoleto continues. “I think just new tracks, new range of corners, you know, speed zones. Your engine will react in a different way, your car will react in a different way and we are learning so much. The amount of things that have been changing during this weekend is crazy.”
Audi’s pace looks promising
Gabriel Bortoleto showed last week that Audi F1 team is able to reach Q3. This week during the Chinese GP Qualifying, his team mate Nico Hülkenberg missed out by roughly two tenths. This underlines that there might be more pace than expected.
“I mean, Melbourne I think was a bit more clear pace to go to Q3, for me at least. Here has been a bit more tight, I would say. I’ve not been feeling as comfortable as I was in Melbourne. But still, I mean, that’s how weekends go, you know.”
The 21-year old explains that the 2026 Chinese GP weekend feels more challenging for him. In Melbourne, he felt immediately comfortable with the car. This week in China it is more tricky for him. Maybe he pushed the car a bit too much to its limits causing him to spin out.
“I think Melbourne was just a special weekend for me. Since lap one I have been feeling amazing with the car and I could extract and trust 100% out of it. Here, I think we have been changing things, ups and downs, and trying to aim for that little bit more I needed. And maybe we got it, but it was a bit too much on the limit. So it didn’t work out very well in the last lap.”
