Gabriel Bortoleto once again gained prominence this Saturday by revealing, in an exclusive interview with F1MANIA.NET, what would be a particularly positive result for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The day also saw Red Bull setting victory as the only acceptable goal, while Mercedes explained why the grid order can change so quickly this year.
Read more F1: Allison explains why the grid changes so quickly in 2026
Bortoleto acknowledged that the gap from Audi to the teams immediately ahead is still large and considered it difficult to reach forces like McLaren and Red Bull at this moment. The Brazilian, who scored ten of Audi’s 12 points and is 14th in the World Championship, pointed to a more concrete goal: to finish the year consistently ahead of Racing Bulls. “They are still a step ahead of us. If we could finish the year ahead of them, I would be very happy,” he said, adding that he is excited about the future plans for the evolution of the car and the power unit.
At Red Bull, Laurent Mekies made it clear that the recovery shown before the break still does not satisfy the team. According to the executive, the gap to the front dropped from approximately 1.2 seconds to about three tenths over the first half of the championship, allowing Max Verstappen to regularly fight for podiums. “We will not be satisfied until we have a race car with the pace to win on merit,” he said. Red Bull is the only one among the main forces cited as title contenders that has not yet won in 2026.
Mercedes, in turn, revealed the impressive development pace caused by the new regulations. James Allison stated that the aerodynamic gains found in the wind tunnel are six or seven times greater than in 2025, equivalent to approximately half a second every two months. The team decided to carry the development of the W17 very close to the start of the season, managing to start the championship with great competitiveness, but allowing some rivals to start their upgrade programs earlier.
Read more F1: Red Bull boss says she will only be satisfied with wins
At McLaren, Andrea Stella highlighted as another positive point the relationship between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the 2025 title fight. The boss admitted that there was no guarantee that the harmony would survive the battle fought until the last race, but stated that the partnership has strengthened, with Piastri relying even more on the team to accelerate his development on and off the track.
Formula 1 is now approaching the end of the August break. The championship returns between August 21 and 23 with the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, a weekend that will have FP1 and Sprint Qualifying on Friday, the Sprint and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.
Read more F1: Chadwick comments on the working dynamics between Verstappen and Hadjar
