Sauber’s rookie under the microscope: Is Gabriel Bortoleto underrated? – A closer look at Gabriel Bortoleto’s debut season in Formula One suggests that the Brazilian may not be getting the credit he deserves. While the reigning Formula 2 champion’s results with Sauber have been modest on paper, the wider context paints a different picture – one that highlights his potential and resilience in the face of extremely challenging circumstances.
The 2025 Formula One season has been far from easy for Sauber, whose car is widely regarded as the weakest on the grid. In such a scenario, even the most talented drivers would find it difficult to shine. Bortoleto has had to make his Formula One debut with very little support from the machinery underneath him, which has often left him struggling at the back of the grid.
Battling with a difficult car
Despite these hurdles, Bortoleto’s early qualifying performances offered a glimpse of his talent. At his debut Grand Prix in Melbourne, and again in the sprint qualifying session in China, he outqualified his much more experienced team-mate Nico Hülkenberg. On both occasions, Bortoleto made it out of the first qualifying session (Q1), a small but significant achievement given the performance limitations of the Sauber.
However, after these early flashes of promise, Bortoleto’s momentum has stalled. Over the last four Grand Prix weekends, he has finished between 17th and 20th, and has been beaten by Hülkenberg in every qualifying session. It’s important to note that Hülkenberg himself has only made it into Q2 once during this period, which underlines just how difficult the situation is for the Sauber drivers.
Race day challenges and a difficult benchmark
In the races themselves, Bortoleto has faced a similarly uphill battle. While Hülkenberg capitalised on the chaos of the Melbourne Grand Prix to score an impressive seventh place, Bortoleto’s best race result to date remains a 14th place finish in China. Since then he hasn’t finished higher than 18th.
In Jeddah, Bortoleto again found himself at the back of the field, finishing 18th and last. Despite this, the team’s new principal, Jonathan Wheatley, remained positive about the rookie’s efforts.
Wheatley, who joined Sauber ahead of the 2025 season, praised Bortoleto’s attitude and determination after what he described as a “pretty tough race”.
“His work ethic is exceptional,” Wheatley stressed. “Whatever he has to do, he does.”
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Tough strategic calls add to the challenge
Bortoleto’s final position in Jeddah was influenced by a strategic gamble that did not pay off. Sauber opted to pit him under an early safety car period, switching him to the hard compound in the hope that a later safety car would allow him to overtake his rivals. Unfortunately for Bortoleto, the second safety car never came.
As a result, he was stuck on worn tyres for the majority of the race, with little opportunity to make progress. His final demotion to last place came after Jack Doohan, who had made a second pit stop, overtook him on the home straight.
Wheatley acknowledged the tough situation, saying, “We were hoping for a late safety car to save the day, but it didn’t happen.”
Bortoleto’s positive outlook
Despite the frustrating results, Bortoleto remains remarkably upbeat. He recognises that F1 is a steep learning curve, especially for rookies driving uncompetitive machinery.
“In F1 you never stop learning. That’s the way I see it,” explained Bortoleto, adding that he had heard the same advice from several world champions.
He also pointed out that, although the final results may not show it, he is consistently close to Hülkenberg in terms of pace.
“It’s just that everyone looks at the final result and that’s frustrating,” said Bortoleto. “But I have a very experienced team-mate. It’s not like he’s in the top five.”
The Brazilian insisted that the gap in performance between him and Hülkenberg is small, both in qualifying and race pace.
“We are very close. He beat me, but that’s OK. These are my first races of the year. We’re always very close – in qualifying, race pace, everything,” he explained.
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Room for growth
Bortoleto remains realistic about his own development curve. Although pleased with his progress so far, he believes there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“I think I’m at a good point, but there’s still a lot of potential to improve – let’s put it that way,” he said.
His comments underline a maturity that belies his rookie status. Rather than being frustrated by the situation, Bortoleto seems to be concentrating on what he can control: learning, improving and maximising the opportunities that come his way.
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The bigger picture
In assessing Bortoleto’s rookie season, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Sauber do not provide him with a platform to compete for points on a regular basis, so his performances have to be judged through a different lens.
The fact that he has managed to occasionally outpace Hülkenberg in qualifying, stay close to his team-mate in the races and maintain a positive and hardworking attitude speaks volumes about his potential.
Many successful Formula One careers have begun with difficult seasons in backmarker teams. Drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and even Lewis Hamilton faced setbacks and challenges early on. How they responded is what made them stand out.
If Bortoleto continues on his current trajectory – working hard, learning from each race and making the most of an uncompetitive car – he could prove to be one of the outstanding rookies of the season, even if the results don’t immediately reflect it.
The road ahead
Sauber’s struggles are unlikely to disappear overnight, but Bortoleto’s performances behind the scenes are winning him important allies within the team. Wheatley’s praise for his work ethic and attitude suggests that Bortoleto is making exactly the kind of impression that matters in the long term.
As the season progresses and Bortoleto gains more experience, it is to be hoped that both his personal performance and Sauber’s competitiveness will improve. Until then, those watching closely will know that Gabriel Bortoleto is having a rookie season that deserves far more credit than the points table suggests.
It may not be a season of headlines and podiums, but it is a season of promise. And in F1, sometimes that’s exactly what a rookie needs to build a lasting career.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
