Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) on the Madrid GP: “Almost fell asleep”, “awful”

At the weekend, Formula 1 raced for the first time at the new ‘Madring’ circuit in Madrid. The track was challenging, demanding and varied – though, unfortunately, only in terms of its layout and corners. Everyone in the paddock agreed that Sunday’s Grand Prix was rather dull. There were hardly any overtaking manoeuvres. The race was one long wait for a yellow or red flag.

Madrid Yawn-Prix

Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th and, as a result, scored no points. After the race, a journalist told the Brazilian: “People in the press centre were almost falling asleep.” And Bortoleto? The Audi driver said with a laugh: “I almost fell asleep too, yes.”

Bortoleto spent much of the race waiting for someone to lose control of their car and perhaps trigger a safety car period. However, that didn’t happen later on in the race.

Turn 5 causes headaches

Bortoleto says, however, that the circuit has potential in principle. Bortoleto: “The layout is cool, but of course it would be fantastic if we could design the track in such a way that overtaking manoeuvres are possible. The track is really lovely, but when you have to drive Turn 5 for around 50 laps, you end up with quite a severe headache by the end of the race. So physically it’s not exactly the easiest, but it’s still a lot of fun. It’s like Monaco, only faster, but just as boring as Monaco.”

After all, overtaking opportunities are few and far between – if they exist at all. Bortoleto: “You can’t launch an attack or overtake if you’re already pushing to the limit in a normal braking zone, and the only way for us to launch an attack or carry out an overtaking manoeuvre is literally to brake on the straight.”

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Terrible racing

So what can be done? The organisers had indicated a willingness to make changes to the circuit. Apart from the race itself, everyone present actually agreed: it was a great event. Bortoleto: “I’d love it if we had at least one overtaking spot, but unfortunately the circuit isn’t laid out that way. So there are good and bad sections on this circuit, and as far as racing is concerned, it’s definitely dreadful.”