Gabriel Bortoleto previews Baku race after reaffirming result in Monza

Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto expects a strong weekend heading into Baku for the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The rookie driver, who has performed with quite some consistency in recent races, revealed that he has been putting in time on the simulator.

Bortoleto has been one of the better-performing rookie drivers of the current F1 season. Despite Sauber's pace, he scored his first Formula 1 points in Austria with a P8 finish and continued the trend in the upcoming races. He didn't score any points in Zandvoort, but managed another top-10 finish during the Italian GP.

"It felt good to be back in the top ten in Monza: a further confirmation of the quality of the work we have been putting in," Gabriel Bortoleto said in a team statement.

However, Baku is a relatively new turf for Bortoleto. He revealed that he has been putting in hours in the simulator to acquaint himself better with the tricky corners the track offers; furthermore, he mentioned that he has enough confidence in the car.

"Baku is a very different kind of circuit – I’ve only raced here last year, in different machinery, and I’ve been practicing at the sim in preparation to the weekend."

He added:

"I’m confident in our car and in the team: we’ve all been working hard to keep improving. Our goal, as always, is to put everything together from Friday onwards, stay consistent, and hopefully go for another points finish."

Bortoleto's performance has been backed by several notable personalities around Formula 1. The team also believes that he has a strong influence from his teammate, which has helped him grow more competitive.

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Sauber team boss details how Nico Hulkenberg has positively affected Gabriel Bortoleto

Nico Hulkenberg is one of the most experienced drivers on the current grid. Having driven for multiple teams throughout his F1 career, he carries the expertise and has helped Sauber build a more competitive car.

Moreover, the team boss, Jonathan Wheatley, also claims that he has had a positive effect on his rookie teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto.

Speaking to the media, he mentioned that the drivers share an excellent partnership; moreover, Bortoleto's nature to learn from the people around him has helped him absorb skills from his experienced teammate.

"You can’t make people be friends. I think they’ve established a relationship based on trust from the very beginning," Wheatley said (via Motorsport Week).

"And Gabriel, as we’ve seen, is more than open to trying to learn from everyone around him, try to improve his performance, whatever he can take on board. And I think Nico takes a genuine pleasure in trying to help him."

Sauber currently sits in eighth place in the Constructors' Championship with 55 points on board. While Hulkenberg has scored the most of them, Gabriel Bortoleto has also contributed with 18 points in his bag.