Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto has praised his teammate Nico Hulkenberg for his remarkable driving that resulted in a third-place finish at the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone. Hulkenberg started 19th on the grid and worked his way through difficult conditions to claim his first Formula 1 podium, earning 15 points for both himself and the Sauber team.
Bortoleto Reflects on Hulkenberg’s Impact and Team Progress
Speaking in Belgium after the race, Bortoleto expressed how significant Hulkenberg’s achievement was for the team’s confidence. The Brazilian highlighted the team’s steady progress over the recent rounds and the positive momentum building as a result.
Yeah, it was great. I mean, obviously, it’s a big achievement for the team,
Bortoleto explained to Motorsport.com and other media in Belgium.
It gives a lot of confidence for everyone. It shows that all the steps we have been doing this year have been paying off. Yeah, just everyone is super happy and excited to keep up with this momentum that we are having the last five rounds.
Race Challenges and Bortoleto’s Own Setbacks
Bortoleto’s own race was cut short after just a few laps, retiring alongside other drivers such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson due to the difficult weather and track conditions. Franco Colapinto was also unable to start the race. The chaotic nature of the event tested driver skill and strategy, and Hulkenberg managed to navigate these challenges better than most.
Despite being pleased with Hulkenberg’s success, Bortoleto admitted it was tough to see from the sidelines and reflected on his own race decisions that hindered his chances.
Absolutely, I mean I was super happy for Nico and I’m still super happy for him, but obviously I would love to be me there and fighting for that, but, I mean, he did the decisions himself and it is what it is,
he added.
Bortoleto explained that his choice to pit for slick tires early in the race was a gamble that ultimately did not work out, despite being influenced by observing experienced drivers like Charles Leclerc and George Russell making similar calls. The conditions remained tricky, with some dry patches but mostly a challenging track to manage.
I saw some experienced guys ahead of me doing it, Charles [Leclerc], [George] Russell, and I thought, you know, they know the track very well, the conditions, I saw as well some dry patches on track and I said, ‘I’m going for it’, trying something, we are starting anyway in the back. Ended up that it didn’t pay off for any of these drivers, we all struggle a lot, I saw a lot of drivers going out, a lot of drivers crashing like I did.
So I feel that was a very tricky race, I tried something different, didn’t pay off, I feel like those that did the basics very well done and executed a very good race, they managed to score points or even a podium like Nico did.
Significance of Hulkenberg’s Podium for Sauber and Future Prospects
Hulkenberg’s podium represents a major milestone for Sauber, highlighting how well the team has adapted and improved in the face of challenging conditions. For Bortoleto, this race offered valuable lessons about race strategy and execution. The team’s ability to consistently gain points and podium finishes boosts morale and suggests they can maintain their recent upward trajectory in coming events at the Formula 1 calendar.
