Gabriel Bortoleto has returned to the Formula 1 points after being promoted to eighth place in the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix following post-race penalties for Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly. The Audi driver, who originally crossed the finish line in 11th, ended a difficult run without a top-10 finish and celebrated an important result ahead of his home Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.
The 22-year-old Brazilian had not scored points since the Belgian Grand Prix, having narrowly missed out on several occasions. Although he initially found himself just outside the points again in Mexico, the revised classification provided a welcome boost for both the driver and Audi after an unusual weekend in which he had gone straight into qualifying without completing any free practice sessions.
Gabriel Bortoleto returns to F1 points with eighth place at Mexico GP
Gabriel Bortoleto’s return to the top 10 came following time penalties handed to Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly after the Mexico City Grand Prix. Those decisions promoted the Brazilian from 11th to eighth, securing his first points finish since the Belgian Grand Prix.
The result provided a timely confidence boost ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, where Gabriel Bortoleto will have the opportunity to compete in front of his home supporters. His eighth-place finish also delivered valuable points for Audi in the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
Following confirmation of the final classification, Gabriel Bortoleto expressed his delight on social media, thanking the Audi team for its efforts throughout a particularly challenging weekend.
“We leave Mexico with eighth place and valuable points for the team,” he wrote. “After a crazy weekend, in which we went straight into qualifying without completing a single free practice session, we couldn’t have asked for anything better!
“I’m happy to be heading to Brazil with a good result; I can’t wait to race in front of my home crowd. Thank you to the entire Audi team for the effort they put in throughout the weekend and for never giving up; thank God and everyone who supported me.”
Nico Hülkenberg apologises to Oliver Bearman after Mexico GP collision
While Gabriel Bortoleto benefited from the post-race penalties, Audi team-mate Nico Hülkenberg endured a more difficult afternoon. The German driver crossed the finish line in 16th place and was subsequently promoted to 14th, but the revised classification was not enough to bring him into the points.
His race was also affected by contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman, an incident for which Nico Hülkenberg accepted responsibility. The Audi driver explained that persistent temperature-related problems had made it difficult to compete for stronger positions throughout the Grand Prix.
“It was a difficult afternoon for us. We had consistent issues with temperatures, which made it difficult to fight for better positions,” Nico Hülkenberg explained.
“At the second start, I got a little too close to Ollie at Turn 4; I lost front downforce and couldn’t stop the car in time. Obviously, it wasn’t intentional: I apologise to him and the Haas team.
“Overall, it wasn’t the ideal weekend for our team. There are a few things to analyse and understand, but with Brazil just around the corner, we’ll learn from what happened, turn the page and start again.”
Nico Hülkenberg congratulates Kimi Antonelli on F1 world championship
Despite his disappointing result in Mexico, Nico Hülkenberg also took the opportunity to congratulate Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli on securing the Formula 1 world championship.
The Italian claimed the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, completing a championship campaign that had already been strengthened by his crucial victory at the United States Grand Prix.
“Finally, huge congratulations to Kimi Antonelli on winning the world championship. An extraordinary and thoroughly deserved achievement,” Nico Hülkenberg added.
Audi will now turn its attention to the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Gabriel Bortoleto hoping to build on his return to the points in front of his home crowd. For Nico Hülkenberg, the immediate priority will be to understand the difficulties encountered in Mexico and approach the next race with a fresh start.
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