‘Superstar’ F1 driver told his Austrian Grand Prix performance was ‘just as magical’ as Lando Norris

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Lando Norris was the standout driver with his dominant win at the Austrian Grand Prix. But several other drivers caught the headlines with their displays at the Red Bull Ring.

Norris responded brilliantly to his costly mistake in Montreal by taking pole position by over half a second at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Brit held on after an intense battle with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to claim his third win of 2025.

The 25-year-old moves within 15 points of the championship lead and has extended his advantage over Max Verstappen in third. The Dutchman crashed out after just four corners after a collision with Kimi Antonelli, severely denting his title hopes.

The Red Bull driver’s retirement allowed the midfield teams to score valuable points. Liam Lawson recorded his best finish in F1 with an incredible P6, having outqualified Verstappen on Saturday.

But perhaps the biggest accomplishment came from Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto. The rookie produced a stunning weekend as he reached Q3 for the first time with P8 and held position to score his first points in the pinnacle of motorsport.

‘Superstar’ Gabriel Bortoleto’s Austrian Grand Prix was ‘just as magical’ as Lando Norris says Robert Doornbos

Teammate Nico Hulkenberg finished ninth for his third points finish in a row and Sauber’s first double points finish since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Bortoleto became the first Brazilian to finish in the points since Felipe Massa all the way back in Abu Dhabi in 2017.

The 20-year-old’s performance was hugely impressive, especially considering how disappointing Sauber have been over the last few years. Speaking via The Pit Talk Podcast, Robert Doornbos says Bortoleto’s result was ‘just as magical’ as Norris.

The former Red Bull driver feels everyone in Brazil would be happy to see a home hero get into the points: “Now they have a superstar who won all junior categories and the Audi, Sauber team really believes in him and his talent,” he said.

“He did show his true skills at this track. I mean, from the first practice, he was on it, in the top five with the car and qualifying for the first time in Q3 and then fighting for the points all the way to the end with your manager.

“Wheel-to-wheel battle with Fernando, the old fox didn’t make it easy for him! He had to make it work, he made him work for it. That was really enjoyable and that was the driver of the day as well, in my opinion.

“There’s more to F1 than just the team and driver that is winning the championship, winning the race. Everybody is fighting his own battle.

“The performance of Gabriel Bortoleto is just as magical as the performance of Lando Norris yesterday, because he extracted the maximum out of the car and got points, which feels like victory for a small team like Sauber.”

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

Gabriel Bortoleto proved Max Verstappen right with his incredible Austrian Grand Prix performance

Bortoleto’s first points in F1 have been coming for some time. The Brazilian has already displayed some impressive performances, despite being in inferior machinery.

Hulkenberg has been surprised by Bortoleto’s attitude since arriving in F1. The rookie has already outqualified his vastly experienced teammate on numerous occasions.

Coming off the back of winning the F3 and F2 titles back-to-back, many people in the paddock knew the 20-year-old would be a serious talent in F1. Verstappen has been a long supporter of Bortoleto; he was vindicated by the Brazilian’s points in Austria.

Verstappen congratulated Bortoleto on social media as he registered four points on the board for Sauber. He will be looking to carry that momentum for the rest of the season and into 2026, when he will become an Audi driver.