Gabriel Bortoleto spoke about the cars of the 2026 Formula 1 season and dismissed the idea that they have made fast drivers slow, insisting that big names on the grid remain competitive as they adapt to the challenges.
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One of the names that has been most critical of the new rules, cars, and engines that split 50/50 between internal combustion and electric power is Max Verstappen. The Dutch Red Bull driver highlighted that, in fact, this new generation looks like ‘Formula E on steroids’. Meanwhile, Lando Norris said the races are chaotic and Esteban Ocon pointed out that he does not drive as he wishes.
However, the Brazilian from Audi insisted that F1 drivers are capable of adapting and when asked if a specific driving style is now necessary to be fast, he dismissed the phrase. “I don’t think I changed my way of driving much. But I don’t like the phrase ‘driving style’ because I don’t believe a Formula 1 driver should say that, because we must be able to adapt, even if it’s not natural,” he said.
“But we must be able to adapt to any type of car and how you need to drive it; that’s why we do what we do, and that’s why we are the 22 drivers in the world in Formula 1. So I think it’s just a matter of which car you have and how you need to drive it,” he added.
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“And I think since last year I haven’t changed much the way I drive, but obviously, you adjust a bit here and there; you know how the energy spreads in some corners, so you know if you can push more on entry and worry less about the exit because there’s no energy being applied there, or if you really need to be a bit more careful on entry because there will be a long straight and a lot of energy being applied, so you need to change, like, last year it was always constant, so you didn’t need to do that,” he continued.
Asked if fast drivers remain fast, Bortoleto promptly replied, “Do you see Verstappen being slow? Do you see a seven-time world champion being slow this year? Do you see [Charles] Leclerc being slow? I don’t see them being slow. I still see them very competitive. So, I wouldn’t say fast drivers are slow.”
“Actually, Lewis [Hamilton] is a bit better than last year. Max continues to perform impressively, putting that car at the top. Lando [Norris], the current world champion, remains fast when his equipment [power unit and car] doesn’t break down, so…”, he concluded.
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