Driver Gabriel Bortoleto gave himself an eight out of ten rating when analyzing his performance in the first half of Formula 1 in 2026, on August 12, 2026. The positive assessment of the Brazilian, who stood out in the opening 11 races of the season, is supported by the analysis of Christian Fittipaldi, Felipe Giaffone and Rafael Lopes, motorsport experts.
Motorsport observers consider Bortoleto’s trajectory to be successful, especially because he has surpassed the performance of his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, a more experienced driver. This result is even more remarkable given the technical challenges that Audi, a new team in the category, faces on the circuit.
Currently, Bortoleto is positioned 14th in the Drivers’ World Championship, accumulating ten of the 12 total points for Audi, which is in eighth place in the constructors’ table. This situation represents a significant improvement for the Brazilian compared to the same period in 2025, when he occupied 17th position with 14 points, while Hulkenberg was ninth with 27 and a podium at the British GP.
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Christian Fittipaldi analyzes Bortoleto’s adaptation at Audi
Christian Fittipaldi, who has already competed in Formula 1, highlights that Gabriel Bortoleto experienced, in practice, two debuts in the motorsport elite: one in 2025 and another in 2026. This second occurred when he joined a team like Audi, which began its journey in F1 with its own engine and car, under new regulations.
Even given the technical restrictions of the German manufacturer’s car, the São Paulo driver’s ability to adapt has been remarkable. Fittipaldi emphasizes that the experience Bortoleto is accumulating will contribute to his future improvement. The commentator explained: “We have to remember that there was that transition from the Sauber team, to a 100% Audi vehicle, that is, car and engine. So, there were a lot of new things that he needed to adapt to. In both season one and season two, he was able to adapt very quickly to adverse situations, to new situations. Race situations, qualifying, running with more fuel, less fuel, new tire, old tire. That’s Gabriel’s strong point in these first two seasons.”
Felipe Giaffone details Bortoleto exceeding expectations
The winner of the Copa Truck, Felipe Giaffone, pointed out that Bortoleto has stood out beyond expectations at the start of the season, taking into account the challenges that Audi, as a new team in F1, could face. The analyst also highlighted the lead that Gabriel establishes over Hulkenberg, a driver who, unlike the Brazilian, made his F1 debut in 2010 and has had 14 seasons. Giaffone stated: “If I were to take a shot at the back, I think I would make a big mistake. Because I expected Audi to be much worse. That’s because it comes with very different regulations, right? With half the power of the electric motor, and they’ve never made this type of engine. He (Bortoleto) learned a lot since last year; you could see that Hulkenberg was growing more than him, but Gabriel this year has a different race pace.”
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Giaffone continued detailing the initial difficulties: “They started with a very big problem at the starts; the car has a large turbo, there is a problem with the initial acceleration and this was very damaging in several races.” However, the commentator mentioned the good result at the Belgian GP: “But suddenly you get to Spa (Belgium), which was a very motor track: Gabriel managed to get the car into Q3, start from eighth and finished with good points.” He also praised the driver’s attitude after a setback: “Then, he took a hit shortly afterwards, in Hungary; then he said it himself, and that is one of Gabriel’s strong points. He made a mistake, left behind and said that the problem was himself. I see Gabriel as very mature.”
Rafael Lopes highlights Bortoleto’s resilience with Audi’s limitations
Rafael Lopes identified the engine as one of Audi’s main weaknesses. Despite this, he highlighted the way in which Bortoleto has managed to overcome such impediments, qualifying the Brazilian as one of the prominent names in the F1 intermediate group in 2026. “Audi is in its first year manufacturing engines, cars, gearboxes, and it is something very complicated. So much so that the team’s main problem is the engine, and the team itself has already said that it will only resolve this in a more definitive way next year; for now, only palliative solutions. But in terms of the chassis and even the gearbox, the team has evolved a lot. Audi will evolve this car; it won’t work much on the engine, but it will work on the car. The big expectation for the team in the second half of the year is to fight with Racing Bulls for the best spot, which would be a great achievement”, analyzed Lopes.
Rafael Lopes also highlighted Bortoleto’s positive phase at the team, where he has surpassed his more experienced teammate. He reiterated the opinion of other commentators, praising the young Brazilian’s self-critical attitude in adverse situations. The commentator explained: “Gabriel’s on-track performance has been very good, so much so that he has many more points than Nico Hulkenberg, who was only scoring points now, in this last race before the break. Of course, he made one mistake or another, and admitted to those mistakes, which I think is really cool. At this point, Gabriel has been one of the best drivers of the season. If we take the drivers from the average teams, we have a very good fight between the Racing Bulls drivers; Gabriel in Audi; Colapinto and Gasly at Alpine. But Gabriel is, without a doubt, among those highlights of the year so far.”