Wheatley reveals Bortoleto’s most suprising quality ahead of the Brazil GP

15:28, 05 Nov

Updated: 15:29, 05 Nov

byDrew Murphy

Kick Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley has revealed that he was most surprised by Gabriel Bortoleto’s maturity in his rookie season in F1.

“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."

- Jonathan Wheatley

Bortoleto was one of several rookies on the grid this year and made the step up to the Kick Sauber team after winning the F2 championship in 2024.

So far, the Brazilian has scored points on five occasions, including a career-best P6 in Hungary, earning 19 points in the Drivers’ Championship.

Jonathan Wheatley, team principal at Stake F1 Team. Photo: RacePictures

Together with veteran Nico Hulkenberg, the pair have scored 60 points, 40 points more than last-place Alpine.

Wheatley was full of praise for the Brazilian for how he has approached his first season in the sport.

He said: “I think it’s the maturity that I’ve been the most surprised by.

“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.

"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 I’m hugely encouraged by his performance so far.”

Hulkenberg and Bortoleto at the Spanish Grand Prix. Photo: RacePictures

Kick Sauber remain in the midfield battle with just 12 points separating them in ninth place and Racing Bulls in sixth.

Wheatley was asked about his team’s chances of achieving the P6 spot, to which he responded: “We're taking it a race at a time. Ayao [Komatsu, Team Principal at Haas] taught us a lesson a few races ago. It's so close. The margins are so close.

“I feel like I'm always saying the same thing, but it's nip and tuck all the way down the line, and it'll come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, I think, at the end of the day.

“But honestly, I'm loving our racing at the moment. I'm loving coming into this competitive environment where the margins are so tight, and the calls are so close. I’m just enjoying the season.”

Check out the latest episode of GPblog's F1 Paddock Update here!

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the Formula 1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it, as Tim and Jim cover the latest news every Grand Prix weekend.

Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.