Sauber’s turnaround in the second half of the Formula 1 season has come with a few key catalysts – and one of them, according to team principal Jonathan Wheatley, has been the composure of young rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
After a steady start to life in F1, the Brazilian has grown into one of the most consistent newcomers on the grid, scoring points five times and delivering a season-best sixth place in Hungary.
His partnership with veteran Nico Hülkenberg has brought the team 60 points so far, but it’s Bortoleto’s demeanor, not just his results, that has most impressed Wheatley.
“I think it’s the maturity that I’ve been the most surprised by,” said Wheatley during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
“When you consider his age, the way he handles things – the frustration, the natural things you'd imagine from a driver in his first season – he handles them with such maturity.”
A Methodical Approach – On and off the Track
While Bortoleto’s raw speed was no secret after his title-winning Formula 2 campaign, few expected him to adapt to F1’s demands so smoothly. Wheatley, who took charge of Sauber in April, said the 21-year-old’s attitude behind the scenes has been just as impressive as his points tally.
“I’ve talked before about his work ethic; if he can be in the simulator, he’s in the simulator – if he can be on a simulator, he’s on a simulator. And I think on top of that, the way he’s knitting his engineering team around him – the way they’re working together – is hugely encouraging as well,” Wheatley explained.
The rookie’s methodical approach has also earned praise from within the paddock. Rather than pushing beyond the limit at demanding circuits, Bortoleto has shown patience and control – rare qualities for a driver in his first F1 season.
“And the final piece in the puzzle for me is when he’s at a tricky circuit, he builds up to it,” Wheatley added. “Monaco, he built up to it – his only contact with the barrier was in the race. Same in Baku, same in Singapore.
“He just has such a mature approach, so I’m hugely encouraged by his performance so far.”
Sauber’s tightrope in the midfield fight
While Bortoleto’s progress has been a bright spot, Sauber remains embroiled in a tense midfield battle, with only 12 points separating the teams from sixth to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Wheatley, however, remains level-headed about their chances of climbing the order.
“We're taking it a race at a time,” he said. “Ayao [Komatsu, Team Principal at Haas] taught us a lesson a few races ago. It's so close. The margins are so close.
“I feel like I'm always saying the same thing, but it's nip and tuck all the way down the line, and it'll come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, I think, at the end of the day.
“But honestly, I'm loving our racing at the moment. I'm loving coming into this competitive environment where the margins are so tight, and the calls are so close. I’m just enjoying the season.”
Read also:
As the rookie’s debut campaign nears its conclusion, Bortoleto’s measured rise has become symbolic of Sauber’s own late-season form – composed, determined, and quietly gaining momentum.
And if Wheatley’s words are any indication, the young Brazilian’s maturity might just be the team’s most valuable discovery of the year.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
