Bortoleto, ready for the second half of the season.

Gabriel Bortoleto is ‘hungry for asphalt’. Last Sunday, August 23rd, the Brazilian driver raced at Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, the 12th round of the Formula 1 drivers’ and constructors’ world championships. After the three-week break, he expects to score points again and climb the championship standings.

This is only Bortoleto’s 2nd season in F1. Last year, he broke a streak of seven seasons without Brazilian drivers, securing a seat with the Sauber team. It was a learning year.

Gabriel’s immediate benchmark is his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, who is competing in his 16th championship. The experienced Hulkenberg finished 2025 with a comfortable advantage over Bortoleto, who was 21st in the season, with 19 points scored in 5 races. Nico, in turn, was 11th with 51 points.

Now, in 2026, the situation is new. Instead of the Ferrari-powered Sauber cars, Bortoleto and Hulkenberg race with cars from the Audi factory team, including their own engine making its debut in the category.

After 11 races held, up to the Hungarian GP, Bortoleto has 10 points, reaching the points zone in three races, currently occupying 14th place. Hulkenberg, meanwhile, is in 18th place, with 2 points scored at the Hungaroring.

Gabriel Bortoleto has a multi-year contract with Audi and was not worried about the speculation regarding the possible arrival of Carlos Sainz Jr. next year. If the story is true, the one who could be under threat would be Nico Hulkenberg.

After spending a few days during the break immersed in the simulator, Bortoleto knows exactly what he will face on Sunday: a circuit with high- and medium-speed corners, two banked corners, and a low-grip layout with high aerodynamic load. He is ready for the challenge.