Gabriel Bortoleto, now heading into his second season in Formula 1, is keeping expectations firmly in check for 2026. The Brazilian driver is not making bold predictions about results, but he does have a very clear objective in mind: to continue improving and to earn his place once again with Audi.
Facing a second season in Formula 1 can mean many different things. It can be about confirmation, the pressure of expectations, or the need to justify the seat you fought so hard to secure. For Gabriel Bortoleto, however, the starting point remains surprisingly simple. “I’m approaching it in the same way I approached my rookie season,” he explains. There is no revolution in mindset, no radical change in approach—just professionalism, hard work, and continuity.
“I never saw the rookie title as a goal, not in F3, not in F2, and certainly not in Formula 1. It’s just another season. It’s about preparing it as well as possible and learning from past mistakes, from what I did well and from what I could have done better,” he adds.
This attitude fits perfectly with the moment Formula 1 is currently going through. The 2026 season marks the beginning of a brand-new technical era, with deeply revised regulations. “It’s definitely a huge change, probably the biggest in decades,” Bortoleto explains, highlighting how the first tests were mainly functional in nature. “It was just a day where we put the car on track and checked that everything was working as expected. For real performance levels, we’ll need time—we’ll start to understand something during the official Barcelona tests.”
Even so, first impressions have already emerged. Starting with the sound of the new car, which the Brazilian describes as “more pleasant compared to last year.” A detail that goes beyond pure engineering. “When you’re driving, you’re focused, but when I started the car and drove out of the garage, I got emotional. I thought: this is an incredible moment, this will be history.”
When there is enthusiasm—and in Bortoleto’s case it is unmistakable—the winter break almost feels like an obstacle. Gabriel does not hide it. “If I could, I wouldn’t even take a break! It was nice to spend some time with my family, but after five days at home I already felt useless, far from the factory. I wanted to go back and start again.”
This mindset is also reflected in his simulator work, which has become a constant. “I’ve spent a lot of time there. Since I’ve been back, I’ve already done several working days. Whenever I have free time, if I can go to the factory and work with the team, I do it.”
The project itself is clearly focused on the long term. The stated goal is to fight for a world championship by 2030, but Gabriel Bortoleto prefers to keep his feet on the ground. “Hopefully we can achieve it even sooner, but it won’t be easy. We’re building everything from scratch: the team, the car, and the power unit. There’s a huge amount of work to do.”
At the same time, the internal atmosphere inspires confidence. “We’re bringing fantastic people into the team, and even the engineers who have been part of the project for a long time are extremely motivated. I really feel that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Despite his limited experience, Gabriel Bortoleto has already understood the importance of his role even outside the cockpit. “I want to keep doing what I’m doing: being with the team, supporting them, giving my maximum on track, and also trying to be a leader. In the end, we drivers are the ones driving the car, and I believe part of our job is also to point out a direction, the way we want to grow. This year it will be even more important than usual to identify the development path of the car as early as possible.”
When it comes to personal goals for 2026, his answer is cautious but clear. “It’s difficult to say now, I haven’t driven the car yet. Of course I want to win, but realistically I don’t think it will happen in the first year. The priority is to make progress. I want to see the team grow, improve, and do a better job race after race.”
Even when faced with the more extreme opinions about the new regulations, Gabriel Bortoleto remains balanced. He does not believe drivers will have to “forget everything” they have learned. “It’s still a racing car. Sure, energy management is more complex, but in the end we’ll always be driving at the limit. Just like in the past: at the beginning everything feels new, then very quickly it all becomes automatic.”
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