Gabriel Bortoleto reflects on “opportunity to learn about tire management and our pace”. Gabriel Bortoleto completed his first full race one week after retiring in Melbourne.

Except for the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying session, where Nico Hülkenberg managed to prevail in Sauber’s internal battle, all other sessions (Sprint and main race) ended with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of the German driver, though both Hinwil drivers finished outside the points.

The whole race with damage
In the chaotic Australian GP, Nico Hülkenberg had brought his Ferrari-powered C45 to seventh place, but in Shanghai, he finished 15th, taking into account the disqualifications of both Ferraris, as well as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine due to technical irregularities. “It was a day that built character,” the German explained. “Unfortunately, right after the start, I went wide at Turn 1 and then almost lost the car at Turn 3 when I went off into the gravel. I lost a few positions there, but what was even more frustrating was the substantial damage to my car’s floor, which significantly affected the aerodynamic balance. I think our performance wasn’t too bad in terms of pace, considering the damage. The positive thing is that we finished the race and got some mileage to gain experience with the new car. It’s still early days, and I’m looking forward to Suzuka in two weeks.” – he pointed out.

A new experience
After retiring in his debut race in Melbourne due to wet track conditions, Gabriel Bortoleto had the chance to complete his first full Grand Prix, finishing 14th. The reigning Formula 2 champion commented: “It definitely wasn’t an ideal race; after the first lap, it was just about recovering and gathering as much information as possible about the car. Even though our position wasn’t great, it was nice to keep going and finish the race, especially since it was my first race in dry conditions. I took it as an opportunity to learn more about tire management and our pace, understanding where we stand compared to others. It’s hard to say where we could have finished with a cleaner race; obviously, I wanted this weekend to be more positive. It is what it is, now we move on and head back to the factory to analyze the results of these first two races and prepare for Suzuka. I’m looking forward to racing there; I’ve practiced a lot in the simulator, and I’m excited to finally drive on the real track.”