Weekend marked by tire degradation sees Brazilian score 12 more points
The ninth round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship concluded this Sunday. At the Hungaroring track, near Budapest, Hungary, the 22 drivers competing faced a weekend of intense heat and races marked by significant tire degradation.
Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, representing Invicta Racing, had a positive showing in the Hungarian round. After qualifying in fourth place, he was optimistic for the two upcoming races.
Due to the top ten grid reversal rule, Bortoleto lined up his #10 car in seventh position for the Sprint Race. The race, held on Saturday afternoon, was tough for the Brazilian driver. After a good start, he maintained his position and pursued his competitors. Following the team’s decision, Bortoleto started on soft compound tires for the planned 28-lap race. Unfortunately, this tire choice proved problematic, and after eight laps, Gabriel began losing positions. He tried to stay on track and conserve his tires, but the car had minimal grip. Consequently, after 18 laps, the team called him in for a pit stop, even though it was not mandatory by regulation. Bortoleto lost several positions but returned to the track with impressive pace on new tires. He managed to recover some positions, set the fastest lap of 1m32.266s, but finished only in 16th place.
On Sunday, with the tire degradation experience from the Sprint Race analyzed, the McLaren F1 development driver started the race from fourth position. After a good start, the young driver from São Paulo quickly moved up to third place. After seven laps, an accident brought out the Safety Car, and all drivers on soft compound tires pitted for the mandatory stop. Invicta Racing performed well, and Gabriel returned to the track in third, behind Enzo Fittipaldi in second. The race resumed, and with drivers on different strategies ahead, Bortoleto aimed to be aggressive and gain positions while conserving his tires for the remaining 30 laps. Gabriel performed well, overtook Enzo, and was in virtual second place. However, with 15 laps remaining, another Safety Car appearance changed the race dynamics. Drivers who started on hard compound tires pitted for the mandatory stop and returned to the track on fresh soft tires, with only a few laps left. Gabriel defended as best he could but was overtaken by two competitors, finishing the race in fourth.
With this result, Gabriel Bortoleto scored 12 more points in the championship, rising to third place with 110 points, behind only Isac Hadjar (FRA) with 140 and Paulo Aron (EST) with 122. The next round of the season is next weekend in Belgium at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
“We had a learning weekend here in Hungary. We struggled a lot with tire degradation in Saturday’s race, and with data analysis, we devised a different strategy for the Feature Race. My car was good, I managed to attack and gain positions on track, but luck was not on our side. The late Safety Car put us in a very disadvantaged position compared to competitors on new soft tires. I consider today’s result the best possible. We moved up a position in the standings and closed the gap to the championship leader by 12 points. There are still five rounds to go, and I am confident in improving further,” concluded the young driver sponsored by McLaren, Banco BRB, Porto, Ebury, Snapdragon, and Barthelemy.
Pictures: James Gasperotti