Gabriel Bortoleto endured his worst finish as a Formula 1 driver so far in the Japanese Grand Prix and the Sauber rookie’s wait for points may continue in Bahrain this week.
F1 flies straight from Suzuka to Sakhir for the second leg of the first triple-header of 2025. It also offers Bortoleto and Sauber a chance to bounce back from their disappointing outing at the Japanese GP, where only Aston Martin pilot Lance Stroll finished behind the 20-year-old.
Bortoleto paid the price for a poor start on Sunday as he fell from 17th on the grid and only recovered to 19th. His wheelspin off the grid after taking a set of hard compound tyres saw Stroll initially follow Esteban Ocon and Jack Doohan in edging in front of Bortoleto early on.
Ocon was a roadblock for the Brazilian after he also took hard tyres to start the Japanese GP, with Bortoleto only able to re-pass Stroll as Aston Martin favoured a two-stop strategy. Nico Hulkenberg rued Sauber’s high-speed corner balance at Suzuka, too, as he only sealed P16.
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto is wary of track evolution affecting his Bahrain Grand Prix
Bortoleto has embraced a mature stance regarding his steady start to the 2025 F1 season as he looks to build on what the reigning Formula 2 champion has learnt through his first races in the pinnacle of motorsport. He also sees potential in Sakhir with it a more familiar circuit.
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But the Osasco, Sao Paulo native acknowledges that new tests could arise at the Bahrain GP this weekend. Bortoleto especially highlights track evolution as one topic he will need to get on top of for the Sauber rookie to deliver a good result given the very abrasive track surface.
The Bahrain International Circuit also has mostly low-speed corners unlike Suzuka last week. Tyre management did not prove to be much of a concern at the Japanese GP as the circuit’s newly resurfaced first sector largely negated the degradation caused by high-speed turns.
“I’m looking forward to being back in Bahrain,” Bortoleto said, via Motorsport.com. “This will be another opportunity to build on what I’ve learned so far and continue to improve.
“I was also back at the factory earlier in the week to prepare even more for the race ahead, and I also know this track relatively well compared to Melbourne, Shanghai and Suzuka.
“The conditions can often present an extra challenge with the track evolving significantly throughout the weekend and the wind playing a big part. But I’m prepared for anything this weekend may bring. Each session will be a chance to push harder, adapt and progress.”
Gabriel Bortoleto’s struggles are proving pre-season fears about Sauber’s 2025 car true
Bortoleto will hope managing the track evolution is the least of the Sauber rookie’s worries at the Bahrain GP this weekend in the Brazilian’s ongoing search for his first points as an F1 driver. Sauber left Sakhir after testing this February widely believed to have the slowest car.
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Hulkenberg managed to make use of Melbourne’s mixed conditions to score Sauber points with P7 in the season-opening Australian GP. But the pre-season concerns about their C45 have materialised, and Sauber doubt they can repeat Hulkenberg’s P7 from Australia soon.
Bortoleto’s P19 finish in the Japanese GP further marked his worst finish in Formula 1 so far after coming 14th in China after a Lap 1 spin. The Brazilian crashed on his debut in Australia shortly after pitting for intermediate tyres in the late rain having managed a brake problem.
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