Gabriel Bortoleto finished 9th at the F1 Belgian GP, securing valuable points in challenging wet-to-dry conditions at Spa-Francorchamps. The Brazilian driver’s amazing race weekend at Spa extended Sauber’s five-race points scoring streak and helped keep the team sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Bortoleto qualified 10th for the main event, outperforming teammate Nico Hülkenberg in both sprint qualifying and GP qualifying sessions. He progressed to SQ3 in sprint qualifying, securing 10th position in that as well for the sprint race, where he finished ninth, just outside the points.
The Brazilian’s qualifying performance set up a strong weekend, positioning him well for points in the main race despite narrowly missing out in the sprint.
Heavy rain delayed the race start, with all drivers beginning on intermediate tyres behind the safety car. Racing commenced at the end of lap four, with Bortoleto maintaining his 10th position through the opening phase.
The key strategic decision came on lap 12 when Bortoleto pitted for medium tyres as the track dried. This proved to be his only pit stop, executing a successful one-stop strategy that carried him to the finish.
“To be honest, I gave the call even before knowing how the slicks were going because my inters were completely gone and I was sideways everywhere. So I said, ‘Guys, I need to pit.'”
Bortoleto’s approach differed from his aggressive strategy at Silverstone, where an early pit call backfired. This time, he adopted a more conservative approach.
“After Silverstone, that I pitted so early, I was like, I’m not bothered to try something again and then risk something. So I wanted to see how the slicks were doing.”
“I think I extracted everything from the car” — Gabriel Bortoleto
The Brazilian was satisfied with his weekend performance, believing he extracted maximum potential from the car.
“Yeah, a very solid weekend. I was in the top ten, and I feel really that today we did everything we could. I think I extracted everything I had from the car.”
Reflecting on his amazing race weekend at the F1 Belgian GP, Bortoleto expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance and strategic decisions.
“Honestly, I’m happy about the weekend. There is nothing else we could have done today.”
He acknowledged that while an earlier pit stop might have been optimal, the conservative approach was the right choice given past experiences.
“Maybe a lap earlier was going to be perfect, but it’s a risk you need to take or not. I decided to not take it today and just do everything I could.”
Bortoleto set his fastest lap of his race on lap 41 and maintained a comfortable margin over Pierre Gasly in tenth place during the final stages.
Bortoleto speaks about the swap with Hulkenberg during the race
During the race, Bortoleto requested to pass Hülkenberg to challenge Liam Lawson for eighth position. The German allowed his teammate through, demonstrating strong team cooperation.
“Obviously, there are races that he was faster than me and I let him pass. This time, I just felt that I could catch Lawson somehow or put some pressure on him.”
Despite getting past his teammate, Bortoleto could not overtake Lawson, finishing just behind the New Zealander.
“I didn’t manage to overtake Lawson, but I was in his gearbox for a super long time. Then Nico dropped a bit, and he did a second pit stop, and the position was that one.”
Bortoleto acknowledged the fine margins that separated him from eighth place, with Lawson maintaining a slight pace advantage throughout their battle.
“It was just very difficult to catch Lawson. I think he had a very good pace and managed very well his tyres as well. It was that one tenth per lap that he was quicker that made him finish P8.”
Gabriel Bortoleto speaks about the delayed race start at F1 Belgian GP
When asked about the delayed race start due to heavy rain, Bortoleto defended the FIA’s decision despite criticism from other drivers.
“Safety is first, always. I think when we went out for the first time, there was just so much spray, so much aquaplaning, that if we raced in that condition, someone could get hurt.”
He praised the race officials for their handling of the dangerous conditions.
“I love racing in every condition, but when it’s not good, it’s not good. We need to be realistic on that. I really feel like today we started at the right moment, and the FIA did a very good job on that sense.”
This ninth-place finish continues Sauber’s impressive form, with the team scoring points in five consecutive races. Hulkenberg’s podium at Silverstone highlighted this streak, and Bortoleto’s consistent scoring has been crucial to their sixth-place standing in the constructors’ championship.
