Gabriel Bortoleto was once again one of the highlights this Friday in Formula 1 by making an “extremely positive” assessment of his first half of the season with Audi. The day also featured Ferrari facing a decision about Lewis Hamilton, Cadillac securing Sergio Pérez’s stay, and Mercedes evaluating how long it will continue developing the 2026 car.
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In an exclusive interview with F1MANIA.NET, Bortoleto highlighted the performance achieved by Audi in its debut season. The Brazilian scored ten of the 12 points earned by the team in the first 11 rounds and said he is confident in the project’s ability to also evolve in the power unit. “An extremely positive assessment, there is nothing more to say,” he summarized.
At Ferrari, Hamilton’s performance put Fred Vasseur facing a strategic question for the second half of the championship. The Briton is in second place with 169 points, 50 behind Kimi Antonelli and 31 ahead of Charles Leclerc. The team still advocates freedom in the competition between its drivers, but the scenario reignited the discussion about a possible prioritization of Hamilton in the title fight.
Mercedes faces a similar dilemma in development. Leader of both championships, the team saw Ferrari and McLaren reduce its advantage and needs to decide how much it will still invest in the W17 before directing resources to the next car. James Allison warned that stopping updates too early could make the final stretch of the season “very uncomfortable,” while confirming that new developments are still planned.
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At Cadillac, rumors involving a possible departure of Pérez to Williams received a direct response. New chief Marcin Budkowski highlighted the importance of the Mexican’s experience for a team still in its first season, while CEO Dan Towriss stated he is very confident that Pérez will continue driving for Cadillac next year.
Max Verstappen also got into the mood for the next round. With a high chance of rain forecast for Zandvoort, the Dutchman recalled the intense training sessions with Jos Verstappen since childhood to learn how to find grip on wet tracks. Formula 1 returns between August 21 and 23 for the Dutch GP, a weekend that will feature a Sprint format.
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