After delivering a strong performance during the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Brazilian racing driver Gabriel Bortoleto shared his thoughts on the heavily discussed race management and the current delicate situation involving fellow rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli within the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Gabriel Bortoleto heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with renewed confidence in both his own abilities and the performance of his Kick Sauber team. During the dramatic and eventful race weekend at Spa, he managed to finish in a commendable ninth position. In the usual Thursday press interviews ahead of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, Bortoleto opened up about a range of topics—starting from his team’s recent progress to the growing pressure surrounding Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is competing in his first season for the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
When asked about his positive result in Belgium, Gabriel Bortoleto began by saying: “If you look at where we were during the pre-season testing sessions and in the opening rounds of the championship… well, we started with significant difficulties. We probably had the weakest car on the grid. We were really struggling a lot—both in qualifying, where even reaching Q2 was difficult, and especially in race pace.”
The Brazilian driver then highlighted the turning point in their season: “But then we made big improvements. We introduced some important upgrades, and now we’re in a position where we can fight for points. It remains very challenging, of course, but at least we’re in the mix. I’d say we’ve made huge progress, and the team has done an outstanding job. It’s not easy to turn around the situation like this.”
A conservative approach at Spa?
The 20-year-old Brazilian also shared his perspective on the race director’s decisions during the controversial start to the Belgian Grand Prix. Due to extremely poor visibility caused by heavy rain and standing water, the race began behind the Safety Car and with a long delay, which generated debate across the paddock.
Gabriel Bortoleto explained: “I don’t think it was safe to drive at that moment, because you couldn’t see anything. We then waited a long time before restarting. And yes, maybe the race could have started 10 or 15 minutes earlier.”
He added that opinions varied depending on individual setups and team strategies: “I understand that there are different viewpoints—some say it was the right decision, others believe we started too late. It also depends on how your car is set up: if you’re running a dry setup, of course you want to race on a dry track, that’s only natural. I think they took a cautious approach, but at Spa, with everything that’s happened in the past, it’s better to be cautious than to take risks. That’s my view.”
A strong generation of rookies
Finally, the young Brazilian was asked about his opinion on the situation surrounding fellow 2025 rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is currently facing significant pressure due to the high expectations placed on him as a Mercedes Formula 1 driver. Bortoleto did not hesitate to praise the Italian’s talent and potential: “I believe Andrea Kimi Antonelli is an excellent driver—he has a lot of talent. I raced alongside him last year in Formula 2,” he stated.
“He has a very competitive car and a very strong teammate, which makes it even harder. There were huge expectations for him this season. I hope he can find his confidence again and perform well. It’s always nice to see other rookies doing a good job. It shows that our generation of drivers is a strong one.”
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