At the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Sauber Formula 1 team celebrated a significant achievement, as Brazilian rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto secured a ninth-place finish in the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix. This result marked Sauber’s fifth consecutive race in the points—a milestone the Hinwil-based outfit had not reached since the early stages of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Back in 2022, it was Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas who consistently delivered points finishes for the team, crossing the line inside the top ten in Australia, Emilia Romagna, the United States, Spain, and Monaco. Fast forward to 2025, and Sauber has once again found a solid rhythm. This time, the successful run includes results from the Grands Prix of Spain, Canada, Austria—where both drivers finished in the top ten—Great Britain, where Nico Hülkenberg claimed a remarkable podium, and now Belgium, with Gabriel Bortoleto delivering another valuable points-scoring performance in the Ardennes.
Gabriel Bortoleto had already shown signs of strong pace throughout the Belgian weekend, particularly during the Sprint Qualifying and Sprint Race sessions. However, it was in the full-length Grand Prix where both the driver and the team truly shined. The Sauber C45 demonstrated excellent race pace, and thanks to its improved tyre management, Bortoleto was able to climb several positions during the race.
The turning point for Sauber’s 2025 campaign came a few weeks earlier, when a significant update package was introduced. The upgrades, which included a redesigned floor and revised sidepods, have clearly paid dividends. These technical changes have transformed the competitiveness of the car and allowed Team Principal Mattia Binotto’s squad to consistently challenge the midfield.
Gabriel Bortoleto reflected positively on the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, describing it as “solid” and expressing satisfaction with his own performance. He felt he had extracted everything possible from the car and, despite being unable to catch Liam Lawson, he was pleased with the outcome. Lawson, driving for Racing Bulls, maintained a strong race pace and managed his tyres efficiently, making him a tough target to reel in. Bortoleto acknowledged that trying to overtake Lawson was too difficult but noted that he was still proud of the effort and the result.
He also referenced the lessons learned from his strategic misjudgment at Silverstone, where he had pitted too early for slick tyres under drying conditions. In Belgium, Bortoleto opted for a more conservative approach. He revealed that although he initially waited to see how the slick tyres would perform, he ultimately made the call to pit due to his intermediate tyres wearing out completely. The decision, in hindsight, came a lap later than ideal, but it proved effective and kept him in contention for the points.
“After what happened at Silverstone,” Bortoleto explained, “I didn’t want to take the same risk again. I needed to understand how the slicks were working, but in the end, I had no choice. The intermediates were completely gone, and I could barely keep the car on track, so I radioed the team for a tyre change. At the same time, they were already informing me that the slicks were performing well, so we made the switch. In retrospect, stopping one lap earlier might have been ideal, but I didn’t want to gamble. I chose the safer path.”
The young Brazilian also highlighted the strong team spirit and cooperation between him and veteran teammate Nico Hülkenberg. During the race, Hülkenberg allowed Bortoleto to pass so that he could attempt to challenge Liam Lawson. Bortoleto praised Hülkenberg for his team-first mentality, noting that they often switch positions based on race pace and mutual understanding. He stressed that if he had failed to catch Lawson, he would have been willing to let Hülkenberg back through.
The German driver, for his part, fully agreed with the decision. He confirmed that in that phase of the race, Bortoleto was indeed quicker and had a realistic opportunity to gain another position. Hülkenberg was struggling with balance and tyre wear, and he felt that allowing his teammate through was the right decision for the benefit of the team. “Gabi was clearly faster than me at that point,” Hülkenberg said. “He had a better rhythm, and I was starting to struggle with the car. It made sense to switch places—he had a real shot at Lawson, and I wanted to help maximise the team’s points haul.”
Unfortunately, Sauber missed out on a potential double points finish in the final laps of the Grand Prix. With just six laps remaining, Hülkenberg was forced to make an additional pit stop, seemingly throwing away a top-10 result. However, the German veteran later clarified that the decision had been unavoidable. His front tyres had reached the end of their lifespan, and he was experiencing increasing understeer and heavy front locking. He explained that with Pierre Gasly closing in and Sauber running higher downforce than their competitors, he would have been an easy target.
“I couldn’t make the Medium tyres last until the end,” Hülkenberg stated. “The fronts were gone, and I was locking up badly. I had no front grip left and was dealing with massive understeer. Pierre was catching up, and with the downforce levels we were running, he would have passed me easily. I had no choice but to pit again. After that, I just tried to recover what I could.”
In summary, Sauber’s performance at Spa-Francorchamps underlined the team’s progress and growing competitiveness in the 2025 Formula 1 season. With strong upgrades, smart race management, and a harmonious driver pairing in Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, the Hinwil squad continues to build momentum as the championship moves forward.
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