Gabriel Bortoleto Credits Jonathan Wheatley for Culture Shift Driving Sauber’s 2025 F1 Progress
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has expressed strong admiration for team principal Jonathan Wheatley, praising the leadership and mindset he has brought to the team in his first season at the helm of a Formula 1 outfit.
Wheatley joined Sauber in August of the previous year, ending an 18-year stint at Red Bull, where he played key roles in the team’s six constructors’ championship wins. Since his arrival, Sauber has shown signs of steady progress on the track, culminating in a standout performance at the British Grand Prix. There, veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg secured a sensational podium at Silverstone—starting from 19th on the grid—marking a historic achievement for the team. It was the first time a Sauber driver had reached the podium from such a low starting position, and the result earned Hülkenberg a place in the team’s history books.
As of now, Sauber sits in seventh place in the constructors’ standings, only a single point behind Aston Martin. Should the Hinwil-based team manage to surpass their Silverstone rivals in the remaining rounds of the 2025 season, they would equal their best constructors’ championship finish since 2008—matching their achievements from the 2022 and 2012 seasons.
Gabriel Bortoleto has been vocal about Wheatley’s influence, particularly highlighting the internal restructuring the team has undergone since his arrival. In an interview with Globo Sports, Bortoleto emphasized that Wheatley’s impact extends far beyond race results. According to the Brazilian rookie, the arrival of Wheatley had already brought about numerous positive changes behind the scenes at Sauber.
Bortoleto noted that improvements could be seen not only in on-track outcomes, such as his seventh-place finish in Budapest, but also in operational areas like pit stop execution and weekend preparations. He explained that Wheatley had intensified pit stop practice throughout race weekends, contributing to a more disciplined and efficient team environment.
The young driver described Wheatley as someone focused on realigning the structure of the entire operation—from development and engineering to mechanical work and race execution. In Bortoleto’s view, one of Wheatley’s main achievements has been creating unity within a team that had historically operated with a more fragmented or financially cautious mindset.
He pointed out that Sauber had long been a team with limited resources, but the recent influx of Audi investment was reshaping the organization’s culture. Wheatley, having come from a Red Bull environment that had never faced significant financial constraints, was bringing with him a new, more ambitious mentality—one that was beginning to take root across all departments of the team. Bortoleto also mentioned that Wheatley’s leadership was helping align Sauber’s philosophy with Audi’s long-term strategic vision.
As the team transforms under new leadership and increased financial backing, Bortoleto is also beginning to find his rhythm on the grid. Despite currently sitting 17th in the drivers’ championship, the 2025 season has seen him emerge as one of the most promising rookies in Formula 1. His performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix was his most impressive to date.
During that race weekend, Bortoleto qualified ahead of Max Verstappen and lined up on the fourth row of the grid. He went on to claim a career-best sixth-place finish, holding off the four-time world champion across the race distance—a feat that drew praise from across the paddock. Notably, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone publicly commended Bortoleto for his composure and maturity in the race.
Bortoleto, who has often spoken of his admiration for Verstappen, has previously stated that he sees the Dutchman as belonging to the same elite tier as Formula 1 legends Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. His ability to challenge and outperform Verstappen in Hungary was a milestone moment in his debut campaign.
With ten rounds remaining in the 2025 season, Bortoleto will be looking to build on his momentum, add more points to his tally, and climb the drivers’ standings. Backed by Wheatley’s leadership and a revitalized Sauber structure, the Brazilian rookie may yet deliver more standout performances before the year ends.
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