Bortoletto: I'm glad that Fernando can be proud of me.

      Gabriel Bortoleto finished his debut Formula 1 season in the penultimate position in the drivers' standings, scoring 19 points, while Nico Hülkenberg, his far more experienced Sauber teammate, had 51. But it should be borne in mind that the German driver has competed in Formula 1 since 2010 and has started 250 Grands Prix, whereas the 21-year-old Brazilian has only 24.

      But Gabriel has already shown what he is capable of behind the wheel when the car’s setup suits him more or less, and it’s quite logical that Sauber are happy with him, so he will continue to race for the Hinwil-based team in 2026, when it becomes the factory Audi F1 Team.

      “I think I achieved a lot this year,” Bortoleto said in an interview with the championship’s official website. “At the start of the year our car was completely ineffective and, of course, did not allow us to fight for points. In the first race of the season many people were involved in incidents, and I was a rookie, so I probably couldn’t take advantage of all the opportunities I had then (he crashed the car after 15 laps of the race).

      At the same time we knew that the car’s true pace didn’t allow us to fight for points until the Barcelona round. After that, of course, during the summer part of the season we performed very confidently and managed to score quite a few points for the team. I felt I was delivering great results, but then we stopped development of the C45 and switched focus to preparing for next year.

      Meanwhile some teams continued to refine their chassis — perhaps that’s why we dropped back a little. Even so, every weekend we continued to fight for points.”

      Bortoleto finished in the top ten at five rounds, including sixth place in Hungary, for which he was voted “Driver of the Day” by the fans. Naturally, he earned the respect not only of his team — rivals also recognise his talent.

      “It’s great that I’ve gained recognition in the paddock, within the team, among the fans, because at the end of the day I know my job,” Gabriel continued. “Sometimes the car’s capabilities limit you, and even if you do the job very well, it’s not visible from the outside. It’s important that the team understands that; they see the effort I put in and how hard I work.

      I talk a lot with Fernando Alonso, my manager, and he teaches me a lot when it comes to track work. I think he can be proud of me, which makes me very happy.

      I believe I’ve learned a lot, including how to manage my time better. But I think I haven’t changed as a person. I love being able to make people happy when they’re pleased — to me that’s very important. I try to stay true to myself. I think that because in Formula 1 you become a known figure, people start to change, to become not what they were before. But I don’t see any reason for that kind of change yet and I always jokingly tell friends and even people in our team, ‘If I ever start to change, give me a slap.’ But it hasn’t come to that so far!

      I’m very happy that a new project is starting together with Audi, and I’m fully focused on preparing for next year…”