Gabriel Bortoleto praises Sauber after Monza qualifying: “We were the slowest, now Q3 is within reach”. Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto delivered another strong qualifying performance at Monza 2025.

Gabriel Bortoleto praises his team: “We were the slowest. Q3? About where we should be”

Sauber has made a remarkable leap forward after the first third of the season. From the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, with the arrival of the largest upgrade package scheduled for this year, the team has consistently scored points, missing out only at the Dutch GP, likely due to the circuit’s unique characteristics.

Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto delivered another solid result at Monza on Saturday, reaching Q3 and outperforming both Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso to secure P8 in qualifying. This position will translate to a P7 starting spot tomorrow due to Lewis Hamilton’s penalty in the Netherlands.

Bortoleto: “We were last, now I can’t even remember how many times I’ve reached Q3”

Speaking after qualifying, the young Brazilian praised the work done both with his teammate and the factory engineers throughout the season: “Even though all our efforts are focused on 2026, the engineers at the track, together with us drivers, are still pushing to achieve good results. It’s incredible to compare our performance at the start of the year with what we have now. We were last, the slowest, and now we are fighting in Q3. I don’t even remember how many times I’ve made the Top-10 in qualifying this year, maybe three or four. This shows the work that Hulkenberg and I have been able to do. We’ve developed the car together. The factory is doing an excellent job,” reported Globo.com.

After crediting his team and thanking his teammate Nico Hulkenberg for his collaboration, the 20-year-old added a comment about his own performance: “We had a solid qualifying. I have to be honest. My lap on the new tires in Q3 wasn’t ideal. The car lost a bit of grip, and I pushed too hard. I also started my lap too close to Alonso in qualifying, which wasn’t ideal (though it will allow me to start ahead of the Aston Martin driver tomorrow, who is also a mentor). We’re more or less where we should be, so I’m happy,” he concluded, hinting that he could have been even further up the grid.

Looking ahead to the race

Tomorrow’s race will be long, and gaining further positions will be challenging given the potential of the cars ahead. If Bortoleto can at least remain in the top 10, it will already be a significant achievement for the young Brazilian driver.