FORMULA 1
Bortoleto could benefit from Formula 1’s big reset
Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto is entering his second season in Formula 1, now driving for the newly formed Audi team. Photo: Kick Sauber/Audi
The first race week of the season is about to begin in Melbourne, Australia, marking the dawn of what could be a radical new era for Formula 1. Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto — who in 2025 became the country’s first full-time driver on the F1 grid in eight years — is no longer a rookie struggling to keep his head above water. The 21-year-old is going into the 2026 season as a central figure in one of the sport’s most ambitious new projects.
And while the 2025 season may have been one of quiet resilience for Bortoleto, the overhaul of technical rules for 2026 could well spark a competitive reset on the grid, putting the young Brazilian on equal footing with some of the sport’s legends. Sophomore slump? More like a second-year surge…
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