Emerson Fittipaldi: Bortoletto pleasantly surprises us

      Toward the end of the first part of the season Gabriel Bortoleto clearly stepped up, scoring points in three of four rounds starting with the Austrian Grand Prix. Naturally, this pleased compatriots of the 20-year-old Sauber rookie, including Brazilian motorsport veteran Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time world champion who won in Formula 1 in the first half of the ’70s.

      “I think he’s pleasantly surprising all of us. He also performed very well in the last Grand Prix before the summer break, doing an excellent job in both qualifying and the race,” Fittipaldi told Motorsport.com. “I’ve known Gabriel since the days when he first started karting, but what he’s doing now in Formula 1 is a whole other level.

      I hope that with Audi’s arrival next year the team will only get stronger. The German company is investing a lot of money in its factory project, so I hope Gabriel will get a more competitive car — in theory that is quite possible.

      It should be noted that Sauber was already a decent Formula 1 team before, and now it’s becoming increasingly competitive. We must also not forget Nico Hülkenberg — he’s a very fast driver, and I think Gabriel compares himself to him, which helps him as well.

      For the previous seven years there were no Brazilian drivers in Formula 1, and that’s something to be regretted, but it’s wonderful that now our compatriot is once again competing in the World Championship. That fact alone gives us cause for celebration.”

      Bortoleto will begin the second part of the season sitting 17th in the drivers’ standings with 14 points to his name, and in mid‑summer it was indeed noticeable that he was driving with increasing confidence. Whatever his results in the autumn races, he is sure to receive a warm welcome at home during the November São Paulo Grand Prix.