Gabriel Bortoleto impressed Audi far beyond the results in the junior categories before reaching Formula 1. Mattia Binotto revealed that the Brazilian’s signing went through an unconventional analysis, focused more on behavior and personality than just numbers.
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Champion of F3 in 2023 and F2 in 2024 in his debut seasons, Bortoleto quickly entered the radar of the team undergoing the definitive transition from Sauber to Audi in 2026. Even so, Binotto stated that the titles were not the main factor in signing the Brazilian.
According to the Audi boss, the evaluation process deviated from the standard normally used in Formula 1. Instead of focusing the conversation on motorsport, Binotto chose to ask personal questions to better understand the driver’s profile. “I knew who he was, but I hadn’t paid much attention yet. He impressed me with his driving, consistency, and also with his attitude,” he said on the Pit Stop podcast.
The executive especially highlighted Bortoleto’s maturity despite his young age. “I asked several things, but nothing about motorsport. I asked about his girlfriend, what car he drove, about his father, and he was probably thinking: ‘What is this about?’,” Binotto revealed. The intention was to observe how the Brazilian reacted outside the traditional technical environment of the category.
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For the Italian, speed and performance already naturally appear in the data and race results. The difference, according to him, lies in behavioral characteristics that can influence a long-term project within Formula 1.
“I can see speed in the race data, that’s a fact,” he explained. “In the end, what counts is attitude, and you might perceive that by asking unusual questions,” Binotto concluded, reinforcing the importance of the human side in choosing drivers for Audi’s new phase.
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