Bortoleto and Hulkenberg Reflect on Frustrating Ja… Read more
The Japanese Grand Prix proved to be a challenging weekend for both Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, with both drivers enduring frustrating races that left them far from the points.
Bortoleto, the rookie driver for Sauber, struggled to make any real progress during the race, ultimately finishing in 19th place. His difficulties began right from the start, as the Brazilian experienced significant wheelspin off the line on what appeared to be a slightly damp section of the Suzuka track. With the added challenge of starting on the hard compound tyres, Bortoleto was quickly overtaken by multiple drivers. Among those who passed him early were Esteban Ocon from Haas, who was also on the hard tyres, and Jack Doohan from Alpine, along with Lance Stroll from Aston Martin, both of whom started on the softer, faster compound.
Despite the poor start, Bortoleto did manage to gain back some ground, eventually finishing ahead of Stroll, though he was unable to make significant inroads on the cars in front of him. Throughout the race, Bortoleto was stuck behind Ocon, unable to find a way past the Haas driver despite feeling he had the better pace. Reflecting on the race, Bortoleto explained, “The start was a bit tricky. I didn’t have the best start ever. There were two soft tyres behind us so already we expected them to overtake. But anyway, Ocon was in the same strategy as me, and he had a better pull away at the start and overtook me. I got stuck behind him the whole race. I think I was faster through the whole race honestly. It was just not enough pace advantage to overtake.”
Despite the disappointing race result, Bortoleto chose to focus on the positive aspects of his weekend. The rookie expressed that he felt he was continuing to make progress in his Formula 1 journey, even though the race itself did not go according to plan. “I’m leaving Suzuka satisfied with how the weekend unfolded,” Bortoleto remarked. “I have learned a lot – it’s been a steady learning curve since Melbourne, and I am feeling more in control with each session. I want to thank the team both trackside and back at base.”
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg, who races for Haas, also had a challenging outing in Japan. The German driver, starting from further down the grid, could not make much progress through the field either, despite being on a similar medium-hard tyre strategy to most of the other drivers. Hulkenberg crossed the line in 16th place, behind Doohan in the Alpine.
Hulkenberg felt that while his car wasn’t necessarily bad, the circumstances of the race, particularly the difficulty of overtaking at Suzuka, made it hard for him to show his full potential. The German noted that he spent the majority of the race stuck in traffic, which prevented him from making meaningful progress up the order. “The car didn’t feel too bad today, and I would have liked the chance to explore its full potential a bit more,” Hulkenberg explained. “But Suzuka is a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult, and that really defined the race. I spent most of the time in traffic, which made it hard to make any real progress and ultimately turned it into a fairly uneventful race. That’s obviously a bit frustrating.”
Despite his struggles during the race, Hulkenberg acknowledged the ongoing work Haas still has to do in terms of both car performance and its characteristics. He emphasized that the team was still learning from each race and that there was an understanding of the areas that needed improvement. “We know there’s still work to do – both in terms of overall pace and car characteristics – and today’s race underlined that once again,” Hulkenberg said. “It’s still early in the season and we continue to learn with every race weekend.”
Both Bortoleto and Hulkenberg shared a common theme in their reflections: the race at Suzuka presented numerous challenges, with both drivers struggling to make up positions and having limited opportunities to showcase their potential. Suzuka’s narrow and challenging layout, coupled with the difficulty of overtaking, played a significant role in defining the outcomes of their races. However, despite the frustrating results, both drivers remained positive about their ongoing learning processes and the valuable experience gained from the race weekend.
Bortoleto, in particular, continues to adjust to life as a rookie in Formula 1, with each race offering new lessons and insights into the demanding world of motorsport. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg, a more experienced campaigner, remains focused on the work ahead for Haas and the lessons learned in what has been a tough season for the team so far.
Both drivers will undoubtedly carry the lessons from Suzuka forward as they continue their respective seasons, with the hope that future races will bring better results and more opportunities to shine.
