Explained: What has made Gabriel Bortoleto's F1 rookie season so impressive

Stake F1 team principal Jonathan Wheatley has explained what has made him so impressed by Gabriel Bortoleto during his rookie campaign. 

The young Brazilian entered F1 on the back of winning the Formula 2 title last year, with him already knowing that a seat was secured for the new regulations in 2026 with Audi having signed a multi-year deal. 

While Bortoleto did not immediately grab the headlines, he has built into his debut season superbly. He has made three Q3 appearances and finished five races in the points, with his best result so far being sixth in Hungary. 

On that day in Budapest, Bortoleto beat some of the big names in F1 on merit, including, Max Verstappen. 

It is not just his performances which have impressed Wheatley, it is also how he has integrated himself into the team with an incredibly mature approach.

"I think it’s the maturity that I’ve been the most surprised by," said Wheatley. "When you consider his age, the way he handles things—the frustration, the natural things you'd imagine from a driver in his first season—he handles them with such maturity. 

"I’ve talked before about his work ethic. If he can be in the simulator, he’s in the simulator. If he can’t be on the simulator, he’s on the simulator. 

"And I think on top of that, the way he’s knitting his engineering team around him—the way they’re working together—is hugely encouraging as well. And the final piece in the puzzle for me is when he’s at a tricky circuit, he builds up to it. 

"Monaco, he built up to it. His only contact with the barrier was in the race. Same in Baku. Same in Singapore. He just has such a mature approach. So, look, I’m hugely encouraged by his performance so far."