Bortoleto hails ‘solid point’ after gritty Mexico fightback

©Sauber

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Gabriel Bortoleto left the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez last weekend with a grin – and a point – after clawing his way from 16th on the grid to 10th in a gritty, well-judged performance that gave Sauber a much-needed morale boost.

The Brazilian rookie, who has been steadily finding his rhythm in Formula 1, called the Mexico City Grand Prix “a good race” after a string of smart overtakes – capped off by a decisive move on Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar into Turn 1 for the final point on offer.

The result marked the young Brazilian’s fifth top-ten finish of the season, but the massive haul of points scored by Haas, thanks to the US outfit’s double points finish, still pushed Sauber back down to P9 in the Constructors’ championship.

The Climb That Counted

“This was a good race I think,” said Bortoleto, who last scored points at the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

“[It was a] very solid start from P16. Did a good start, overtaking a couple of cars and then on track managed to overtake Isack [Hadjar], Carlos [Sainz], Yuki [Tsunoda], so that was great.

“Definitely a great result and very happy for the team and me for the solid one point.”

©Sauber

That “solid one point” was anything but easy. Sauber’s pace on Sunday wasn’t headline-grabbing, but Bortoleto’s precision and persistence were. His move on Hadjar – a late-braking lunge down the inside of Turn 1 – summed up his growing confidence behind the wheel.

“It was a great move [on Hadjar], I think I needed to try,” the 21-year-old recalled.

“I tried so many times and it didn’t work, so I said ‘now, whatever happens it happens, but I need to make this move happen’. It worked out very well, he fought very well trying to overtake back.”

That bravery paid off handsomely – not just in points, but in pride as it reinforced Bortoleto’s growing reputation as one of the more composed rookies on the grid.

Mixed Fortunes Overall

While Bortoleto was celebrating, it was heartbreak on the other side of the garage. Teammate Nico Hülkenberg’s race ended prematurely after a power issue struck early, forcing him to retire on Lap 25.

“That kind of ended our race before it had really started,” said Hülkenberg. “Obviously disappointing for us, for everyone in the team, I feel we definitely would have had some decent race pace and would have been able to fight for something but that prevented it today.

©Sauber

“At least he [Bortoleto] scored one point which is obviously better than nothing, but tough weekend overall. Yesterday was a bit difficult as well but today, obviously, to end the race like this is a bitter pill.”

In a season of hard lessons, Mexico felt like a small but significant reward for persistence for Sauber. And as he walked out of parc fermé, helmet in hand and smile intact, Bortoleto had every reason to give himself a well-earned pat on the back.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.