An eventual wet track race at this weekend’s Dutch GP could serve as an important test for Gabriel Bortoleto and Audi. The Brazilian revealed that he has not yet had the opportunity to drive the car in wet conditions this Formula 1 season and is “curious” to find out how the package will react.
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“I’m quite curious to understand how our car, our power unit, will behave in the rain, because so far this year we haven’t driven in the wet at all. So it would be good to get a ‘taste’ at some point to understand.”
Although the forecast indicates a very low chance of rain for the race, Bortoleto recalled a recent edition of the Dutch GP marked by changing track conditions: “I was watching a race from two years ago that was quite chaotic. Rain, dry track, and then rain again at the end. It was quite fun,” he explained.
Even before thinking about a possible wet race, Audi will face the challenge of figuring out how their car will respond to the Zandvoort layout. For Bortoleto, the Dutch circuit presents characteristics that can generate both advantages and difficulties for the team.
“Honestly, this track in particular is an unknown for me and the team. It has many different types of corners that can favor our car, but also put us at a bit of a disadvantage.”
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Bortoleto’s caution is also related to recent experiences. When asked about his expectations for the weekend, the driver mentioned Monaco, Hungary, Barcelona, and Silverstone as rounds where the results did not fully meet the plan.
“In Monaco I can say we had the pace and the car. Obviously, I think what happened in qualifying there didn’t help the final result, but I believe the expectations for that track were correct.”
In Hungary, on the other hand, the expectation of a more competitive performance was not confirmed. “In Budapest, to be honest, I think we all expected it to be a bit easier to run at the front, but in the end, it wasn’t quite like that,” the driver concluded.
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