Gabriel Bortoleto doing something behind the scenes Sauber chief needs to ‘have a word with him about’

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Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has made an incredible impression on team principal Jonathan Wheatley since stepping up into Formula 1 this season.

Gabriel Bortoleto was the least talked about rookie who joined the grid this season outside of Brazil.

The first full-time Brazilian driver since Felipe Massa, Sauber decided to sign Bortoleto from McLaren’s academy after winning back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships.

He beat the likes of Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli to win the title, but little was expected of the 20-year-old due to Sauber’s performance last season.

After only scoring two points in 2024, Sauber are performing at a far higher level this year.

There were concerns about Sauber in pre-season ahead of Audi’s takeover in 2026, but Nico Hulkenberg scored his maiden F1 podium at Silverstone, and Bortoleto has scored points in four of the last six races.

The arrival of Jonathan Wheatley as team principal from Red Bull has coincided with Sauber’s resurgence, and he’s spoken about working with Bortoleto this year and the work he’s putting in behind the scenes to get up to speed.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

‘Cheeky’ Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber simulator at ‘every opportunity’

Wheatley was appearing on the F1 Explains Podcast and was asked about the 20-year-old driver.

He said: “Gabriel’s a fantastic talent, a real… I can’t describe his work ethic.

“It’s incredible, and he’s in the factory, every opportunity he can, in the simulator.

“He and Nico have a great relationship, and they’re building off of each other.

“And look, my job is to make sure that we’re open and honest in all our dealings with the drivers, and we give them everything they need to do their job properly.”

Wheatley was then asked more about how he manages his two drivers, and admitted when it comes to Bortoleto: “What they do is incredible, and I think you get used to seeing the cars going around the track and you don’t realise just what they’re doing and the level of physical and mental commitment that that takes is incredible.

“And trying to help the driver through that process, working with Gabby, trying to help him get his mindset right at certain times and certainly what to say and what not to say on the radio as well.”

He was then asked about his prior relationships with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto and admitted: “I’ve known Nico for a long time, through drivers’ briefings and chats in the pit lane.

“So I already had a good relationship with him coming into it.

“And with Gabriel, we’re getting on just brilliantly, I have to say. He’s a little bit too cheeky at the moment. So at some point, I’m going to have to have a word with him about that!”

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Audi/Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley? All to know

Gabriel Bortoleto already on the radar of ‘top’ Formula 1 teams after maiden Sauber season

The F1 driver market hasn’t been particularly active this season, with mid-season swaps at Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Alpine the only changes to happen in 2025.

No new drivers have been confirmed for next year ahead of F1’s regulations changing, but there are still a few unassigned seats as well as the return of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez with Cadillac.

However, teams will be on the lookout for drivers to sign for 2027 once they establish where they are in the pecking order.

The young Brazilian has committed his future to the Audi project, but Ted Kravitz believes ‘all the top teams’ are keen on Bortoleto.

Fernando Alonso is potentially setting up Bortoleto to replace him at Aston Martin when he finally retires, which could be a very enticing prospect if Adrian Newey builds a race-winning car.

Until then, Wheatley needs to keep working with Bortoleto to improve, and while he might want him to cut out any cheekiness, he’ll hope his work-rate doesn’t change as he continues to get better with every race.