Allan McNish raves about Gabriel Bortoleto—the young Brazilian is impressing Audi not only with his speed but also with his impressive mental strength
Audi racing director Allan McNish has shed light on the mindset that makes Gabriel Bortoleto a successful Formula 1 driver. The former Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion, who won both titles in two consecutive years, made his Formula 1 debut in 2025 with the Hinwil-based team—which was still racing under the Sauber banner at the time.
After falling short of his experienced teammate Nico Hülkenberg in the points standings in 2025—19 to 51—Bortoleto now leads 10 to 2 heading into the 2026 summer break. He delivered what was arguably his most impressive performance with a remarkable eighth-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps after starting from ninth on the grid—on a track where the new engine manufacturer had actually expected to face difficulties.
But the 21-year-old Brazilian impresses not only with his pure performance but also with his mental fortitude.
Strong performances and a mature approach
“He’s very analytical in the way he drives and builds up his speed,” McNish explains to the English-language edition of Motorsport.com. “I think that’s something you can see in how he’s grown over the course of this year and also in the qualifying sessions—like at Spa, for example.”
“In Formula 2 in Qatar, when he was in the lead, he turned into the pit lane, and they closed the pit lane because of a safety car or something like that. He had to pull back out of the pit lane and, because he crossed the white line, received a five-second penalty.“
”The way he regrouped afterward and continued the race showed that he possesses mental composure.” The driver crossed the finish line in first place before the penalty dropped him to third place in the midst of a tight title battle against current Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar.
Mental Strength as a Major Asset
“If you have that mental composure—combined with natural pace and an analytical approach to putting that pace into practice—it gives you tremendous potential. And now, with experience, he’s starting to grow in his ability to deliver that consistently.”
“What I also like about him is that, away from the car, he’s a positive, cheerful person. So it’s a pleasure to have him around, and it’s also nice for him to have us on the team. With him and Nico, we have a very good balance between the two, because one brings the experience and therefore naturally and instinctively understands which way the wind is blowing, while the other possesses that youthful enthusiasm. The two of them really bring out the best in each other.”
When asked about Bortoletto’s work ethic, McNish agrees: “He’s a very hard worker. He’s definitely the kind of person who, for example, would be sitting in the simulator on January 2nd working with his engineer, Jose.”
“And that’s something I think we need right now. We need drivers who push us. We need drivers who are there to support us when we need someone to step in and keep the flag flying. Both of them are cut from the same cloth, and Gabi definitely fits that mold.”
