A harmless-looking contact with teammate Nico Hülkenberg could have put an end to Gabriel Bortoleto’s Formula One debut in Australia.
Gabriel Bortoleto did not make it to the finish line in his first Formula 1 race. The Sauber driver crashed in the 2025 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne with just a few laps to go, and retired with a damaged car. It is still unclear exactly what caused the accident.
It is possible that the cause was wholly or partly due to an incident in the starting phase: after the second start attempt in the wet, there was contact between Bortoleto and Sauber team-mate Nico Hülkenberg in the turmoil of the third corner. Esteban Ocon in the Haas documented the scene with his on-board camera.
“A classic racing accident,” said Bortoleto in the press conference before the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. He refrained from blaming Hülkenberg and described the situation from his perspective: ”We were side by side. He had slight oversteer and touched my rear wheel. I didn’t feel it at the time, but when we reviewed the race, we could see it.”
Did this contact crack the rear suspension of the Sauber C45? “That’s the question the team is dealing with,” says Bortoleto. “We are still analyzing why the suspension broke and whether that had an impact on the spin or whether I just drove over the curb too much. Maybe it was one of the causes, but we don’t have a definitive answer yet.”
He also had to deal with ongoing braking problems, says Bortoleto: “Anyone who heard my radio or followed the race knows that I complained about the brakes from the start. There was definitely a problem, that was clear.” However, he could not go into detail at this point.
Both laugh heartily and openly, only after that does the press conference become more serious again.
How Alonso provides specific help
Alonso admits: “All the advice I have given him over the past two years is a bit strange now because I continue to give it to him – but now as direct competitors.”
“I help him as much as I can – with my experience on the tracks, in preparation, with the approach to race weekends or also in relation to marketing activities. Where to invest energy or save energy. But I don’t think that this affects our performance. In the end, it comes down to our teams, our cars, our package.”
So Fernando Alonso takes over – Formula One competitor and at the same time Bortoleto’s manager. And the two-time world champion says that despite the DNF, Bortoleto presented himself “very impressively and very well” overall on his first weekend. Alonso adds: “This is no surprise. Gabriel is the best of the new generation, together with Oli [Bearman].”
“Melbourne is not an easy track for a debut either,” says Alonso. ‘The race in particular was very tricky for everyone. It was a tough test – the first of many.’
What Alonso advised Bortoleto
And one in which Alonso did not leave his protégé Bortoleto out in the rain. Because at the drivers’ parade before the Grand Prix, the two “briefly” discussed the upcoming race. “I still remember what I said,” says Alonso. Bortoleto finishes: “‘It’s going to be a terrible race’.”
“Fernando also told me something about the ideal line on a wet track. It was extremely slippery. We were all just trying to stay on the track because it was so difficult. He said to me, ‘Just survive.’ And then we both retired!” At this point, Bortoleto can’t help but grin.
Tips also from Max Verstappen
In fact, the Brazilian newcomer didn’t just get tips from Alonso. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was also one of his advisors in Melbourne.
“Yes, I talk to Gabi quite often,” says Verstappen. ‘He’s a very nice guy and a great driver. I really like his attitude because he’s a hard worker and passionate about Formula 1. And when he asks me something, I don’t hold back.’
In Australia, Bortoleto approached him after the anthem and asked about the tire choice. “I said, ‘Intermediates.’ He said, ‘Really? Really?’ I said, ‘Yes, take intermediates, it’ll be fine. And if you’re unsure, ask the team.’” So Bortoleto started on intermediates.
Verstappen is asked whether he, as a Formula 1 newcomer, had similar experiences with colleagues. He refers to “different times” and says, “I’m sure there were nice drivers back then too, but I just didn’t ask them – either because I didn’t meet them or because the opportunity didn’t arise.”
In the meantime, the world of motorsport has changed anyway, “also due to sim racing platforms and the like,” says Verstappen. “That helps a lot today.”
What “rules” Alonso sets
In many other areas, Bortoleto relies on his manager Alonso. The two Formula One drivers get along well. Or as Bortoleto puts it: “He’s nice as long as the cameras are running.” Then he laughs.
The question of what would happen in a direct duel on the racetrack is approached with a similar sense of humor. Alonso replies: “I think there’s a clear rule: I stay in front!”
Bortoleto adds: “My contract says that I always have to give him a slipstream in qualifying!”
“I don’t give him any ‘magic’ secrets, I just try to use common sense to help him when he puts on the helmet – which is the most important thing in F1. I think it works well and will continue to work well,” says Alonso.
Bortoleto wants a real battle with Alonso
Bortoleto sees this as a “great thing” because Alonso shows him “how to maximize performance on the track by also behaving correctly off it, so that I am fully focused during the weekend”.
A wheel-to-wheel battle with Alonso on the track would be the icing on the cake for Bortoleto. “It didn’t work out in Australia, but hopefully there will be a few wheel-to-wheel duels in China. That would be great for me. I’ve watched Fernando race all my life, and now I’m racing against him in Formula One while he’s also my manager. It’s great!”
