Sauber Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley praised rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto after a solid showing at the F1 Spanish GP, describing the young Brazilian’s recent form as mature and composed. Although Bortoleto missed out on points in Barcelona, Wheatley emphasized the growth the rookie has shown during a challenging triple-header stretch.
Wheatley: Bortoleto building confidence through rookie season following strong qualifying result at the F1 Spanish GP
Gabriel Bortoleto hasn’t had an easy introduction to Formula 1 following his 2024 F2 title. Sauber’s car has not been up to scratch.
But after steady performances across Imola, Monaco, and now Spain, Wheatley sees signs of a driver learning quickly and adapting well.
In Spain, he qualified a very strong P12. He was just over a tenth off making his first Q3 appearance in Formula 1, showing why Sauber signed him.
“Gabriel’s a tremendous talent,” Wheatley said. “I’ve been so impressed by the way he’s addressed these last three races.”
In particular, Wheatley highlighted Bortoleto’s measured approach at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he gradually built up speed through the weekend.
“He didn’t, until an overtaking manuever, touch a wall in Monaco. He built up his pace in Monaco. Such a mature approach to that.”
Quick learning curve in Barcelona
Barcelona presented another challenge, as Bortoleto had to adapt to new aerodynamic upgrades with limited preparation. Sauber only introduced the aero package on Saturday morning to him, just hours before qualifying.
“He had to learn the aero package on Saturday morning and go straight into qualifying, and he delivered,” Wheatley said. “And he drove a great race today.”
Though the team went bold on strategy in hopes of scoring points by running a long stint on mediums like teammates Hülkenberg, it ultimately didn’t pay off.
“We were hoping to get some points with him. We thought maybe at one point we could do a one-stop, but then a few of the pieces fell in the wrong direction and we didn’t quite get there with him today.”
Encouragement for the future
Despite missing out on the top ten, Wheatley remains confident in Bortoleto’s development and praised the performance of the entire team.
“Honestly, it was a strong team performance today,” he said, also noting teammate Nico Hülkenberg’s consistency. “Nico proved the class that he is as well. And I’ve been asked before, but I’m just so pleased with our driver pairing.”
As the season continues, Wheatley clearly sees promise in his rookie driver and expects further progress from Bortoleto as he gains more experience.
