Wheatley hails ‘most collaborative’ driver pairing he’s ever seen

In a sport so often defined by individual brilliance and fierce rivalries, Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley has hailed the Swiss outfit’s current driver lineup of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto as the most “collaborative” pairing he has witnessed in his extensive Formula 1 career.

Sauber entered 2025 with a completely refreshed line-up – Hulkenberg bringing his wealth of experience, and Bortoleto joining straight from consecutive Formula 3 and Formula 2 title triumphs.

The duo, steering the Hinwil squad through its transformative 2025 season ahead of its rebranding to Audi in 2026, has not only delivered impressive on-track results but also fostered a unique team dynamic that Wheatley believes is driving the team’s recent resurgence.

“It's incredibly important,” Wheatley told reporters after the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I have to say that it's the closest, most collaborative driver pairing I think I can even remember in all my time in Formula 1.

“Gabriel has a fantastic work ethic. He has a capacity for taking on new information. He's proving in every way to be the future star that we expected him to be. And Nico is part of that journey with him.

“On the other side of the engineering table, you've got this extraordinary experience and Nico's proven talent. I mean, we're talking about Gabi a lot [after Hungary], but Nico did a tremendous job.

“You don't really see it or you don't notice it because it didn't result in a points finish. But as a team, we're very pleased with both of our drivers.”

Bortoleto’s Rapid Rise

Bortoleto delivered his best F1 result so far with sixth place last time out in Hungary, a performance that continued his run of strong form – 14 points in the last four races.

While Sauber’s C45 car has clearly improved, Wheatley stresses that the Brazilian’s own growth has been just as crucial.

“It's worth pointing out again that he hasn't done 10,000 kilometers of testing of previous cars,” the Briton noted. “He hasn't done 10,000 kilometers in the Formula 1 car.

“It's his first season in Formula 1. There are so many circuits that he's not been to. And there's some coming up that he hasn't been to. He's been able to deliver brilliantly over the last few races in circuits that he knows.

“I think he's matured and developed as a driver. And I think he's going to be able to adapt to these new circuits much quicker than he did in the first half of the season.”

• Read also: Hülkenberg surprised by 'fast, focused and impressive' Bortoleto

With Hulkenberg’s racecraft and feedback paired with Bortoleto’s hunger and adaptability, Wheatley believes Sauber’s driver dynamic is laying a strong foundation for both the remainder of this season and Audi’s entry into the sport.

The results may not always be visible on the scoreboard, but for Wheatley, the value of a driver line-up working as one unit cannot be overstated.

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