'Nobody will pay attention' – F1 rookie receives unusual message

Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has delivered an unusual message to Stake Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, in that "nobody will pay attention" to him this season. 

The reigning F2 champion will partner Nico Hulkenberg at Stake this year, in what is expected to be a very difficult campaign for the Hinwil-based team. 

Stake's focus is on its transition to becoming a full Audi works team in 2026, when the new power unit regulations are introduced. 

As a result, it has been predicted that Stake will finish last in the constructors' championship once again, something Villeneuve believes is positive for Bortoleto. 

With a difficult 2025 on the horizon for the backmarker, Villeneuve has pointed out that it puts Bortoleto in the easiest position of all the six full-time rookies, due to how little attention Stake will receive. 

"Gabriel Bortoleto was solid in Formula 2," Villeneuve told Yaysweepstakes. "He seems to be very mature for his age and he seems to be good under pressure like you’d expect from a Brazilian driver. 

"That is what you need in F1 and he's in a team with no expectations this year. He has a very experienced team-mate to learn from. Out of all the rookies he's in the easiest, safest position.

"Everybody is just there waiting to see how it is against Hulkenberg and if he's clever he'll just take his time and learn from Hulkenberg because nobody will pay much attention with Sauber being at the back anyway."

Bortoleto's Brazil pressure

Of all the rookies on the grid this year, Villeneuve is expecting Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson to face the most pressure at Mercedes and Red Bull, respectively. 

The biggest pressure Bortoleto will receive is from his home country of Brazil, with the 20-year-old being the first full-time F1 driver from the South American nation since Felipe Massa. 

Former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi has already urged Brazil to be patient with Bortoleto, although Villeneuve expects the Stake driver to thrive should he become under pressure. 

"All the eyes will be riveted on Antonelli and on Lawson," added the 1997 F1 champion.

"Well, adding the pressure of being Brazilian is something they do themselves. It was like with Barrichello, and it was like that with Massa.

"But they have a very strong history of being strong, of being good racers. Mostly when the going gets tough."