From standout to supporting role: The challenges of racing at the back of the Formula 1 pack

12:06, 26 Apr

byLudo van Denderen

Gabriel Bortoleto was the star in both Formula 3 and Formula 2 for the past two consecutive seasons, clinching the championship in his first year in each category. This earned him a promotion to Formula 1, but with the modest Sauber team, the talent plays only a minor role.

When Helmut Marko was asked which rookie made the most impression, the external advisor to the Red Bull teams named Isack Hadjar. Naturally, the Austrian was preaching to the sister team a bit, for the Frenchman races for Racing Bulls. Yet, the remark was not entirely strange, as Hadjar has scored points on several occasions.

From the front to the back of the F1 field

It was the same Hadjar who was locked in a fierce battle with Bortoleto for the F2 title last season. But fighting for podium positions, even for points, is currently out of reach for Bortoleto. His Sauber lacks the performance, and he is usually found at the back of the field. This requires an adjustment for a driver accustomed to winning.

"It's not easy, if I'm honest. It's not easy. You come from two championships—you’re used to being in this [press] room, but actually after a race, because you win or you are on the podium. Now, for us, it's already a mega job if you're going to Q2 or fighting for Q3," Bortoleto explains.

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However, the Brazilian does not worry. "But there's always going to be someone paying this price at the beginning. If you see George Russell at the beginning of his Formula 1 career, I don't think he scored a point in his first season, or something like that. And now he's one of the best drivers on the grid and doing such a great job. I wouldn’t say fighting for the championship right now, but he's constantly on the podium or fighting for things. So it's all about having patience."

Bortoleto and teammate Nico Hulkenberg will drive for Audi next year, with the German team replacing Sauber for 2026

Patience is something Bortoleto has. Moreover, there is simply nothing more he can do with the Sauber: "Just learn, try to grow as a driver in these tough moments and do a better job every race weekend. Get better, because I'm not fighting for points right now—that's the realistic situation. Not me, not Nico [Hulkenberg]."

"Nico did a very good job in Australia with a messy race and managed to score points, but, realistically, in the last three or four rounds, we have not been able to be there by pure pace. What we need to do now is try to point the team in the right direction with the development of the car."

"We saw last year with Sauber as well—they were last through the whole year basically, and I think with one or two upgrades they brought, they were back to fighting for Q3. So in this world, I've learned something: everything can happen. So we cannot give up," Bortoleto said.

Bortoleto braced for a tough year

A 'benefit' for Bortoleto was knowing in advance that it would be a challenging season. "It's not news for me. It's not that I came to this season expecting to be fighting for podiums or points every race. I knew what I was going to go through, and I just needed to be strong and keep it up."

"The team has been very clear with me since the beginning that that was our situation, and we just fight for it. I know it's not nice to be in the situation we are, but it is what it is. That's life," the realistic Brazilian concludes.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy