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Gabriel Bortoleto’s Journey at Sauber: A Parallel to Charles Leclerc’s Early Days
Nearly seven years have passed since Charles Leclerc achieved his first Formula 1 points while driving for Sauber. His impressive sixth-place finish during the dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marked by Max Verstappen’s collision with Daniel Ricciardo, served as a turning point in both his career and the team’s trajectory. At that time, Leclerc’s F1 debut had been relatively muted, despite his remarkable performance in the 2017 Formula 2 championship, where he claimed the title with relative ease. His early struggles included being outqualified by teammate Marcus Ericsson in the first two races, before finally breaking into Q2 at Baku and navigating through a fray of on-track incidents.
Though luck played a role in Leclerc’s Azerbaijan success, it propelled his season forward, culminating in a commendable 39-point haul that caught Ferrari’s attention, leading to a coveted seat with the Scuderia in his sophomore year. This move highlighted the high expectations placed on the Monegasque driver, particularly given Ferrari’s historically conservative approach to their driver selection.
Fast forward to the present, and Sauber’s rookie driver, Gabriel Bortoleto, is still searching for a breakthrough after the first four races of the current season. The opening rounds have proven challenging for the team, with only Nico Hulkenberg’s seventh-place finish in the rain-affected Australian race offering any points. However, Bortoleto has showcased a promising pace, matching Hulkenberg’s performances, intriguing observers in the Sauber camp.
Beat Zehnder, a long-time member of the Sauber team who has witnessed numerous rookies come through over the years, draws parallels between Bortoleto and Leclerc. Zehnder emphasizes Bortoleto’s strong work ethic and self-criticism, noting that after qualifying in Bahrain, the young driver expressed disappointment in himself for not matching Hulkenberg’s performance.
Bortoleto’s Approach to Improvement
“He has a big chunk of self-criticism,” Zehnder noted, highlighting Bortoleto’s desire to outpace his more experienced teammate. “Gabi is very open about his mistakes and asks for constructive feedback from the team to enhance his performance.”
Zehnder sees Bortoleto and Leclerc as similar in their dedication and engagement with the engineering team, both spending significant time to understand the nuances of the car and optimize their performance. “I sincerely hope we can provide him with a car that allows him to score points; he truly deserves it,” Zehnder asserted, praising Bortoleto as an exceptional talent.
During a past appearance on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Zehnder identified Leclerc as “one of the most complete” drivers in his extensive tenure with Sauber. Notably, Bortoleto has mirrored Leclerc’s achievement of winning back-to-back titles in both F2 and F3, a feat he shares with other notable drivers like George Russell and Oscar Piastri.
Assessing the C45: Challenges and Feedback
Zehnder also offered insights into the performance of Sauber’s current car, the C45. While the vehicle demonstrates strong downforce capabilities, he noted that its handling characteristics could inhibit the exploitation of that downforce. Nevertheless, he appreciates the feedback from both Bortoleto and Hulkenberg, describing it as “incredible,” especially considering Bortoleto’s nascent career stage.
“The performance window of a modern F1 car is quite narrow. While we know we have a solid amount of downforce, it only translates into performance if it’s in the right operational range,” he explained. “We tend to struggle in warmer temperatures, preferring cooler conditions, which is an area for future focus.”
With both drivers casting valuable insights on the C45, the team is hopeful that Bortoleto’s exceptional feedback will contribute significantly to the development of the car, paving the way for what they hope will be a successful season ahead.
Source
www.autosport.com