Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg
“It’s obviously a very tough one to take today. We had power issues right from the formation lap, which basically ended our race before it even began. It’s frustrating for everyone in the team because we know the pace was there to fight for something decent. Still, we managed to bring home a point with Gabi, which is better than nothing. Overall, a disappointing weekend, but we’ll work hard to understand what went wrong and fight back in Brazil.”
Gabriel Bortoleto
"Overall, I’m happy with today’s result. Starting P16 and finishing in the points shows the strength of our race pace and the great strategy from the team. I had a strong start, made some good overtakes on track, and we managed the tyres well throughout the race, which was solid and well-executed.
“After a tough qualifying, this comeback means a lot. It proves that we never give up — we just kept pushing and it paid off. A big thank you to everyone at the track and back at the factory for their hard work. Now I’m really excited to head to Brazil for my first home race in Formula 1. No pressure – I'm just proud to be going there off the back of a strong weekend.”
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal
“It was a mixed day for the team. Unfortunately, Nico suffered a power issue during the formation lap, which meant he started the race with a compromised car. He did a great job driving around the problem, but ultimately, we had to make the difficult call to retire the car for reliability reasons.
“On the positive side, Gabi drove an outstanding race. Starting from P16 and finishing in the points with P10 is no small feat. He managed his tyres brilliantly, executed our strategy perfectly, and showed exceptional race craft in those final laps, particularly in his battle with Hadjar. The pit crew delivered an excellent stop that helped him gain crucial track position.
“Credit also where it’s due to Haas and Oliver Bearman. They did a fantastic job today, and we can only congratulate them, even though it obviously hurts to see them take so many points in such a tight midfield battle. The good news is we get to do it all again in two weeks at Gabi’s first home Grand Prix.”
