F1 Mid-Season Rankings #17: Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto is the first Formula 1 rookie on our ranking list, down in 17th, after what seemed to be a slow start to the Formula 1 World Championship.

Feature image credit: Sauber

The 2024 Formula 2 world champion joined Kick Sauber as part of an all-new line up ahead of the teams transition into Audi next year, replacing a seat once filled by Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu, with his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, taking up the other vacant seat.

It was a slow start to the season for the F2 world champion, as the first of five new rookies still on the grid this season, ending his first race in Australia with an DNF thanks to an accident.

However, as the season progressed, the Brazilian driver is showing promise, picking up his first points finish in Austria, and obtaining two more points finishes in Belgium and Hungary.

From his maiden points finish, Bortoleto has picked up points in three of the last four races.

Embed from Getty Images

The first Middle Eastern races, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were two of the Brazilian’s worst races with one point scored in each event, according to our rankings. However, his maiden point-scoring weekend in Austria stands as his strongest performance of 2025 so far.

In the head-to-heads, the 20 year old is keeping his veteran teammate, Hulkenberg, honest. In qualifying trims, the Brazilian is beating his experienced teammate by out-pacing Hulkenberg 8-6 in traditional qualifying, whilst being marginally ahead 2-1 in sprint qualifying.

However, in racing situations, it’s more of an equal battle between the two teammates as Bortoleto is even on Grand Prix finishes with Hulkenberg, currently standing all square on 7-7. But, Bortoleto has the advantage in sprint races as he leads the way, 2-1.

See how he has fared in 2025 against our rankings.

2025 Rankings: 

• Australian GP: 5 Points
• Chinese GP: 4 Points
• Japanese GP: 3 Points
• Bahrain GP: 1 Point
• Saudi Arabia GP: 1 Point
• Miami GP: 2 Points
• Imola GP: 7 Points
• Monaco GP: 8 Points
• Spanish GP: 9 Points
• Canadian GP: 3 Points
• Austrian GP: 16 Points
• British GP: 4 Points
• Belgium GP: 9 Points
• Hungarian GP: 15 Points

Total Points: 87 Points

DISCLAIMER:

As previously confirmed, we rank drivers out of 20 points across each race weekend of the season. The highest performing, or best driver, of the weekend would get a maximum score of 20 points, while each driver below them would be ranked one point less.  

If a driver does not start a race, they will be automatically given one point.

If more than one driver does not start a race, these points will be handed out in order it is announced i.e. Driver 1 (D1) is announced not to start two hours before the race start, but Driver 2 (D2) is retires on the way to – or on – the grid, D1 will get one point and D2 will get two points.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• F1 Mid-Season Ranking #18: Yuki Tsunoda
• F1 Mid-Season Ranking #19: Lance Stroll
• How have AI F1 predictions fared in 2025?
• F1 Mid-Season Driver Rankings #20: Franco Colapinto
• Colapinto distrupts F1 2026 Pirelli Tyre Test on final day
• F1 Mid-Season Driver Rankings #21: Jack Doohan

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the latest news from ApexMotorsports.co.uk!

You can also support us on Patreon or our website!

Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.