Spa-Francorchamps round kicks off the second half of the season, with the Brazilian driver from Stake F1 Team showing strong consistency on the demanding Belgian circuit

Gabriel Bortoleto wrapped up the Belgian Grand Prix with a solid ninth-place finish, scoring two valuable championship points and once again showcasing his growth as a driver in the Formula 1 World Championship. The Brazilian from Stake F1 Team | Kick Sauber had a consistent weekend at the legendary Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, one of the fastest and most challenging tracks on the calendar.

Double Q3 qualification highlights the weekend

The weekend’s standout moment came with Bortoleto reaching Q3 in both the Sprint Qualifying and the main qualifying sessions. On Friday, he secured 10th place on the sprint grid with a lap time of 1:42.176, reflecting the car’s competitive potential.

“I am really happy to have made it into SQ3. The car felt solid throughout the session – but the SQ2 lap was truly perfect. I could have done slightly better in SQ3, but overall it was a strong qualifying performance, and breaking into the top ten is always encouraging,” said the driver after the session.

A Saturday of double satisfaction

Saturday brought more reasons to celebrate. After finishing ninth in the sprint race, Bortoleto made it to Q3 once again, claiming 10th place with a time of 1:42.387.

“I am happy to be back in Q3! Sometimes you need a bit of luck in this sport, and today it was my turn. I could not hook up a good lap in Q1 and knew I had to refocus and give it everything in Q2. I am glad it worked out,” Bortoleto explained.

Challenging conditions on Sunday

The main race featured the typical mixed conditions of Spa-Francorchamps, with a wet start and a drying track. Bortoleto demonstrated maturity in managing the changing conditions, crossing the line in ninth and earning two crucial points for the championship.

The Brazilian started on a fresh set of intermediate tyres and made his only pit stop on lap 13, switching to new medium compounds. The strategy paid off, allowing him to maintain competitive pace until the end.

“I am happy to be back in the top ten today. The conditions were very tricky – starting wet and then drying out always makes things unpredictable – but we stayed focused, made the right calls, and brought the car home in P9,” assessed the driver.

Continued growth in rookie season

The result at Spa-Francorchamps marks another important step in Bortoleto’s rookie Formula 1 season. The young driver continues to show steady progress as he quickly adapts to the demands of the sport’s top category.

“Our pace was solid all weekend, and that is a credit to the whole team for giving me a car I felt comfortable in throughout the sessions. Of course, as a driver you always want to be fighting further up the grid, but this was a strong result and another decent step forward,” added the 20-year-old Brazilian.

Next Challenge: Hungaroring

With two more points added to his tally at Spa, Gabriel Bortoleto now shifts his focus to the next challenge: the Hungarian Grand Prix, set to take place next weekend at the Hungaroring in Budapest.

“We have added two more points, and that gives me extra confidence heading into Budapest. I feel like we are heading in the right direction, and I am excited to keep pushing and end the first half of my rookie season on a high,” concluded the Brazilian driver.

Pictures: Stake F1 Team | Kick Sauber
Press office of Gabriel Bortoleto
Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick