Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, 20, faced a weekend full of challenges during his first appearance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, held from April 18 to 20 at the high-speed street circuit in Jeddah. Representing Stake F1 Team | Kick Sauber in his debut season in Formula 1, Bortoleto showed resilience and focus in an environment of constant learning.

The weekend began on Friday with the first free practice session (FP1), in which Bortoleto completed 23 laps, setting a time of 1:31.038 and finishing in 20th place. However, his progress was halted by an unexpected technical issue: a fuel leak detected after FP1 kept him from taking part in the second session (FP2).

“It was frustrating to lose track time, especially since it was my first time driving here in Jeddah with a Formula 1 car. The team worked tirelessly to fix the issue, and I am really grateful for their effort. Still, I managed to get a few laps in during FP1 to start getting a feel of the layout,” said the driver.

On Saturday, after another practice session (FP3), Bortoleto struggled during qualifying (Q1), which was marked by unforeseen complications. Although his car was ready after a full chassis change, his attempt to move on to the next stage was compromised. First, he was hindered by a plastic bag on track, and on the following lap, a mistake while trying to catch a tow from another driver resulted in a spin. He ended the session in 20th, with a best lap time of 1:29.462.

“The team did an amazing job getting me back on track, but I made a mistake at a critical moment. We are always trying to push the limits, and today it did not work out. Missing FP2 and the race simulations definitely made the weekend more difficult,” Bortoleto reflected.

On Sunday, Gabriel started the race on medium tires but was forced to pit on the very first lap under the Safety Car to switch to hard compounds. With a one-stop strategy, he completed all 50 laps and finished in 18th place, setting his best lap in 1:34.447.

“The tire wear was intense toward the end, and my main goal was to bring the car home. Despite the setbacks, this weekend was a huge learning experience. Every session matters, and the support from the team has been essential. Now it is time to rest, reflect, and move forward with even more determination. I will be ready to fight in Miami, carrying everything I have learned in these first F1 races,” concluded the Brazilian driver.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s next challenge will be the Miami Grand Prix, set to take place in the United States from May 2 to 4.

Pictures: Stake F1 Team | Kick Sauber

Press office of Gabriel Bortoleto
Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick