Hülkenberg’s team-mate Bortoleto (8th): “We’ve finally shown why we’re here”

Frustration on one side of the Audi garage following Nico Hülkenberg’s retirement – and joy on the other side for Gabriel Bortoleto, who tripled his points tally with an 8th-place finish and four World Championship points.

Bortoleto said after the race: “I’m very pleased with today’s result: the team really deserve it. We’ve had a few races where we didn’t score any points. It was tough seeing the car’s potential but not being able to turn it into concrete results. So this is a huge motivational boost for everyone. We’ve finally shown why we’re here and what our true pace is like. Realistically speaking, I think eighth place reflects our current position.”

However, Bortoleto also benefited from problems experienced by Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes/15th), Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing/retired) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren/11th), which propelled Bortoleto further up the order.

The race could have turned out very differently

The Brazilian said: “It was a long weekend. On Saturday, we nearly crashed out in Q1, and the race result could have been very different had we started further back. The team did an incredible job of getting everything sorted, getting the car into the right set-up and then delivering both a strong qualifying session and a solid race.”

Bortoleto climbs the World Championship standings

With an 8th-place finish, the Brazilian added another four points to his tally, significantly boosting his total: he now has six points, which puts him in 14th place in the World Championship standings. He has now overtaken both Williams drivers (Carlos Sainz in 15th, Alexander Albon in 16th) and Esteban Ocon in the Haas (17th).

Topic of the week

From major doubts to a major spectacle: why GP fans have reason to be delighted

Before the start of the season, critical voices dominated, but the World Championship rounds so far have shown that the rule changes are delivering exactly what was hoped for: excitement right up to the final lap.

Read more

TV program

Live

Spa: FP1

FIA Formula One World Championship

17.07.2026 - 13:15

McNish proud

Audi’s racing director Allan McNish praised his protégé Bortoleto: “Gabi made a brilliant comeback after losing positions at the start and worked his way up to eighth place with a strong recovery drive. It was a level-headed and determined performance – a result that everyone at the factory and at the circuit can be proud of.”

The Scot also noted: “Scoring our first points since Melbourne (the season opener, ed.) is a significant milestone and reflects the hard work, patience and determination that everyone has shown over a long period of time. We were convinced that the result would come if we continued to work well and keep developing – and today was the day.”