Gabriel Bortoleto has singled out the behind the scenes work that has gone into the Audi project as the element of the manufacturer’s takeover he has been most impressed by, with the Brazilian believing that the team “deserve a lot of credit”.
After making his debut for the former Kick Sauber outfit in 2025, Bortoleto’s sophomore season in F1 also marks the maiden campaign for the squad under the Audi name, a plan that was first announced back in 2022.
As part of the takeover, Audi have built their own power unit for the first time from their powertrain division in Neuburg, Germany, which works alongside the chassis team in Hinwil, Switzerland, and the new Technical Centre in Bicester, UK.
Asked ahead of the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix about what had most impressed him since Audi’s takeover, Bortoleto explained: “I’ve been impressed by the amount of work these people have been doing behind the scenes that maybe a lot of you guys don’t know because it’s not shown.
“They deserve a lot of credit for a lot of the things we have been putting on track. The new power unit, the new car – we are building everything from zero. We’re a new team basically so they’ve done an impressive job I would say, and they are also conscious that there is still so much to be done.
“I think this impresses me because it’s not easy and it’s not clear in many areas that this was going to be the case. I’m impressed that we have been able to go in the right direction and hopefully we keep going.”
On a personal level, Bortoleto is feeling good as he enters into his second season in Formula 1, having been one of several rookies to make their debut in Melbourne 12 months ago.
“For me, being here in the second year is great,” the 21-year-old added. “I remember being very nervous here last year for the first time, living everything for the first time – first FP1 in my career, first media stuff on Thursday.
“Now it’s just different and more relaxed. At the same time, I’m very excited about the project.”
