Nico Hulkenberg impressed with “very bright, very fast” F1 rookie this season

Nico Hulkenberg was full of praise for his Sauber teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, the Brazilian rookie driver who made his debut this season. Praising the youngster, Hulkenberg called him a bright, and dedicated driver.

Sauber brought in a new line-up this season as they bid farewell to Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the end of last season. They brought in Hulkenberg from Haas and paired him up with rookie Bortoleto in the Kick Sauber C45s. Bortoleto arrived in F1 after back-to-back impressive seasons in lower categories. He won the F3 championship in 2023, and went on to win the F2 title in 2024.

As Hulkenberg, an F1 veteran with decades of experience, was pitted against a rookie, he was impressed with the latter's performance despite very little experience. Hailing the young Brazilian, here's what he said:

“I think he’s a very bright, very fast guy, who is very dedicated, very focused, works really hard. He definitely has the right attitude, and he’s got the speed," Hulkenberg said.

"It’s very impressive for me, for a rookie, seeing him that close as a teammate, seeing his data, listening to what he has to say after sessions and races. I think it’s very, very encouraging. He has everything you need to become a great driver and to have a long, successful career.” (Via PlanetF1)

Currently, Gabriel Bortoleto, is in P17 with 14 points, and his best performance came in Hungary when he finished in P6. His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg is in P9 with 37 points. Oscar Piastri of McLaren is leading the Drivers' Championship with 284 points, ahead of his teammate, Lando Norris (275 points).

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Nico Hulkenberg hailed Sauber's turnaround midway through 2025

Nico Hulkenberg praised Sauber's improvement in performance coming into the 2025 season. The Hinwil-based team finished 2024 in P10 with four points. Comparing it with their performance from this year, it has been a stellar rise. Speaking about it, here's what the German driver said:

Nico Hulkenberg of Germany driving the (27) Kick Sauber C45 Ferrari leads Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil driving the (5) Kick Sauber C45 at the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium - Source: Getty Images

“I think it's been a very positive first half of the season up until the summer break, obviously since Barcelona we've really managed to turn things around. If you look where we started in winter testing compared to where we are now, this is definitely good progress, and a lot has happened since.” (Via F1.com)

After 14 races and three Sprints, Sauber is in P7 with 51 points, and trails P6 Aston Martin by one point. Their best performance in 2025 came with Nico Hulkenberg's podium at the 2025 British GP, where he finished behind the McLaren duo, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.