Brazilian driver remains optimistic after free practice sessions and highlights important learning about tires and car behavior on the Nevada circuit

Gabriel Bortoleto wrapped up the first day of activities at the Las Vegas GP fully focused on preparation work and says he is confident for the challenges ahead this weekend. Making his debut on the Nevada street track in the United States, the Brazilian driver completed 40 laps across the two night sessions, prioritizing an understanding of tire behavior and the circuit’s unique characteristics.

Bortoleto recorded a time of 1:36.398 in FP1 (19th place) and 1:35.499 in FP2 (20th place). The track, which features medium-to-high-speed characteristics, saw speeds exceed 350 km/h during practice, setting a new top-speed record for the 2025 season.

“It was a positive and productive day overall,” Bortoleto said after the sessions. “It is a bit difficult to interpret the lap times, since some drivers completed laps on the softer compounds and others did not. My own attempt on the softest compound was interrupted by a red flag,” explained the driver, who currently sits 19th in the championship with 19 points.

The only Brazilian in the category emphasized that the work focused on the harder tires provided valuable information moving forward into the weekend. “Running mostly on the hard tires helped me understand how the compounds behave. Until the session was interrupted, the softs also seemed decent,” he assessed.

Bortoleto arrives in Las Vegas after a particularly tough Brazilian GP at Interlagos, but he appears refreshed and ready for the challenge. “Brazil was especially tough, but I learned from it, had some quiet time to rest, and now I am looking forward to moving ahead,” he said before the start of the weekend.
The street circuit built in the heart of the city is entirely new to the Brazilian, who also faces the additional challenge of the typical nighttime low temperatures of the Nevada desert. “It is a new track to discover, and I am curious to see how everything comes together, especially at night with the cooler temperatures. It is going to be a different kind of challenge,” he acknowledged.

With clear room for improvement, Bortoleto remains focused on the goal set for the weekend. “There is still space to improve, but I think we are in a solid position with one more free practice session left before tomorrow’s qualifying,” said the driver, who aims to repeat the strong results achieved in recent rounds.
The schedule continues at full pace this Friday with the third practice session at 10:30 p.m. (Brasília time), followed by qualifying at 1:30 a.m. The race will take place in the early hours of Saturday to Sunday, also at 1 a.m., marking the penultimate round before the end of the 2025 season.

With three races remaining on the calendar, Bortoleto aims to score important points to improve his position in the championship and close out his rookie season on a high note.

Pictures: Stake F1 Team | Kick Sauber

Press office of Gabriel Bortoleto
Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick