Debate over British F1 media bias flares up again following Bortoleto's exclusion.

      People in England often say, ’Lando this, Lando that.’

      Claims of clear bias in the British Formula 1 media have emerged again after rookie Gabriel Bortoleto’s impressive performances were not given substantial coverage during the recent grand prix broadcasts in the UK. Fernando Alonso, who manages Bortoleto, praised the Sauber rookie for finishing sixth in Hungary but also acknowledged the media imbalance. "If he were English and finished sixth for Sauber, he would be on the front page of all the newspapers," Alonso remarked.

      Australian F1 photographer Kym Illman examined the mentions during the Sky Sports UK commentary at the Belgian GP, finding that Lando Norris led the mention count with 106, followed by Oscar Piastri with 88, Lewis Hamilton with 58 despite lackluster performances, and Max Verstappen with just 54. Bortoleto, despite another strong race, was second from the bottom with only 8 mentions.

      Olav Mol, a veteran Dutch F1 commentator, told Ziggo Sport’s De Stamtafel program that he agreed with Alonso’s criticism. "He’s completely right," Mol stated. "(Charles) Leclerc’s pole position wasn’t shown at all, just in a small frame, as those English people are always talking about ’Lando this, Lando that’." However, he added, "It’s their decision; they choose how to cover it."

      Colleague Jack Plooij contended that Bortoleto deserves more recognition, stating, "At this moment, he’s clearly superior to the others." Illman’s comparison also indicated that the Dutch broadcaster Viaplay and Sky Italia delivered a more balanced coverage, with Bortoleto receiving double the mentions on Viaplay compared to Sky UK.