Gabriel Bortoleto is now facing the same problem as Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari after Monaco Grand Prix frustration

Gabriel Bortoleto has put in some impressive displays for Sauber in his rookie Formula 1 season in 2025. But naturally, it has not been without its difficulties.

The Brazilian would have known that points would be scarce this season before he stepped into his C45. Sauber scored just four points in 2024 as they languished at the back of the field.

Bortoleto’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg beat the team’s points total at the season opener in Melbourne with a fortuitous P7 in the tricky weather conditions. Sauber do not expect to repeat that result on merit; something they have not come close to doing in the last seven races.

Bortoleto is one of four drivers yet to score in 2025, recording a best finish of 14th in China and last time out at the Monaco Grand Prix. Qualifying in 16th, the 20-year-old’s race was hampered by a first-lap incident with fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli.

The Sauber driver produced an ambitious overtake at the hairpin before Antonelli fought back at Portier, resulting in Bortoleto hitting the wall. The Brazilian got going again and recovered to 14th, beating teammate Hulkenberg.

It was a frustrating weekend for the rookie as points could have been on the board with Monaco’s mandatory two-pit stop initiative. Amid the disappointment, journalist Julianne Cerasoli has noticed Bortoleto has the same problem as seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

Gabriel Bortoleto has the same radio communication problem with his engineer as Lewis Hamilton

While the Ferrari driver came home to finish fifth, it was another frustrating weekend for the Brit in Monaco. Hamilton crashed in FP3 before he was penalised for impeding Max Verstappen in qualifying.

Hamilton tried his best to avoid the penalty as he told his race engineer Riccardo Adami to keep him updated with the gaps behind. Again, radio communication was a major problem for the Brit as he felt he did not receive enough information during the race.

Speaking on her YouTube channel, Cerasoli has noticed Bortoleto has the same issue with his pit wall. After listening to his radio, she has seen that the Brazilian’s engineer does not respond to him when he asks for information – Adami did this to Hamilton in Monaco.

“So there are things that they have to understand, sit down and talk about every race, what worked, what didn’t work for this type of communication,” said Cerasoli.

“But this part, if it is normal for the engineer to leave it in a vacuum like that, it is not normal. I follow the races on Bortoleto’s radio, there have been several times where Bortoleto has left the engineer in a vacuum.

“He has a bad race, ‘that was good and stuff, I don’t know what there’ and he doesn’t answer anything. Tempers are very heated when you’re in the car and stuff.

“I don’t think anyone sitting at home has the slightest idea of what they’re going through there. And you have to give a discount, right, in this type of situation.”

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

What does Gabriel Bortoleto need to do to be a success in F1 in 2025?

Success for Bortoleto and Sauber in 2025 is hard to judge. The team will likely be struggling at the back this season until Audi take over in 2026, when the Brazilian and Hulkenberg will hope they improve.

But Bortoleto has shown some encouraging signs of performance. The 20-year-old has reached Q2 three times so far in 2025, narrowly missing out on a fourth appearance in Monaco.

The F2 champion has been performing well next to Hulkenberg, as he proved in Monaco. Felipe Massa told Bortoleto to request an aggressive front end in Monaco; his move on Antonelli and his P14 finish from last after the first lap suggests it paid off.

Scoring points may not be too far away for the Brazilian, with there being a lot of expectation on his shoulders. Nelson Piquet Jr is predicting Bortoleto to beat Hulkenberg; given his recent performance, he certainly has the potential to do just that.