'He's got exactly what it takes' - Hulkenberg offered 'pretty rare' Bortoleto warning

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has warned Nico Hulkenberg that his rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto could be "very hard to stop". 

Bortoleto is one of six full-time rookies on the 2025 F1 grid, with the Brazilian to partner Hulkenberg at Stake Sauber. 

It is set to be a very difficult maiden campaign for the reigning F2 champion, given that Stake finished last in 2024 and are not expected to do any better this year. 

The Hinwil-based team's focus is on the new power unit regulations next year, where it will become a full Audi works team. 

Bortoleto is contracted for next season and Audi's arrival, giving him the upcoming campaign to settle into the pinnacle of motorsport. 

Much is expected of Bortoleto, who claimed the F3 and F2 titles in back-to-back seasons on his first attempt. 

It is an accolade shared by just three other drivers: Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri. 

With Stake expected to be at the back of the grid, Bortoleto's likely only real challenger will be his team-mate, with Herbert expecting the intra-team battle at the Swiss team to be monitored closely.

"It's all down to him against Nico Hulkenberg," Herbert told CasinoApps. "Even if you have the slowest car on the grid you’ve still got to beat your teammate.

"Everything we've seen so far in his career shows he's got exactly what it takes. Mentally, the pure speed and rawness that he's taken into Formula 3 and Formula 2, winning the championships back to back, that’s pretty rare.

"So, you would expect him to be able to jump in and be quicker than Nico in many respects.

"Sometimes, with someone like Bortoleto and the skill set that he's got, it's very hard to stop for Nico."