Gabriel Bortoleto reveals 'useless' feeling as Audi preparations ramp up

Gabriel Bortoleto has revealed he started to feel "useless" during Formula 1’s short winter break, as Audi’s preparations ramp up ahead of its debut.

The Brazilian joined Sauber last season on a multi-year contract, with the 2024 Formula 2 champion viewed as a significant part of Audi’s future.

He made strong strides during his rookie campaign, although the arrival of Audi has long been seen as Bortoleto’s opportunity to truly show his value.

With three separate tests scheduled ahead of the F1 season opener in Australia, all 22 drivers were given an incredibly short winter break.

For Bortoleto, even that proved too long, with the youngster eager to continue working with Audi ahead of its first season in the championship.

Asked if he had time to reset, Bortoleto told select media, including RacingNews365, at Audi’s launch: "It’s only my second season in F1. If I could, I wouldn’t even have a winter break. So for me, yeah, it was nice to spend a bit of time with family.

"But I feel like after five days at home, I was already feeling a bit useless, that I was away from the factory and the team. And I was like, 'I want to go back. I want to start it again.'"

Throughout the short winter break, simulator driving—both at home and at Audi’s factory—was something Bortoleto invested significant time in.

The 21-year-old has always been a regular simulator driver at home, but he has ensured that not a single day was wasted preparing himself for the new power unit regulations.

When asked how much time he had spent in the simulator, he added: "Oh, a lot. How many days? It’s difficult to say. Since last year, obviously we had a shutdown break. At home, I was in the sim every day.

"But since I came back [on January 6], I think I did five days already, something like that. So obviously, a lot of events in between this.

"So far, I haven’t really stopped much at home, but every time I can and I have free time to go to the team and work, I’m there."