After 2024, if there’s one team almost everyone expected would finish bottom in the standings, it was Sauber. After breaking ties with Alfa Romeo and being on its way to becoming Audi, the Hinwil-based outfit’s transition has been forgettable, and the ones affected the most have been its drivers.
Carrying over their abysmal form from 2024, Sauber finds itself at the bottom of the standings once again. They had started the season on a promising note by scoring points in Australia with Nico Hulkenberg and surpassing their season-long four-point haul from last year in just one race.
However, races after the opening round in Melbourne haven’t really gone Sauber’s way. In Bahrain last weekend, Hulkenberg got disqualified from the outing due to a worn-out skid-plank, and Gabriel Bortoleto was, quite frankly, the slowest driver on the grid.
Checkered flag on the #BahrainGP Nico delivered a consistent drive, finishing P15 on track, which was later classified as P13 following post-race penalties. Gabriel showed determination but faced difficulties with grip and balance, limiting his progress through the field.
Up… pic.twitter.com/oxYdssGHM9
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) April 13, 2025
The Brazilian rookie, who won the F2 title last year, finished plumb last out of all the runners. It continued his poor run in form, as he sits at the bottom of the Drivers’ standings, also on zero points. Relatively, Hulkenberg is still 12th in the standings, owing to his six-point haul in Melbourne.
Bortoleto could quite understandably feel bummed out. But in this moment of despair, his mother, Andrea, decided to remind him who he is, and how difficult it is to get where he is today.
Sharing a picture of Bortoleto driving in Sakhir, Andrea wrote, “My son, never forget—you’ve reached a place where few ever do, because you are made of courage, sweat, and a warrior’s soul. And you are deservedly among the top 20 in the world.”
“Hard days do diminish your greatness,” she added, referencing the Bahrain result. “They only signal that even more extraordinary days are on the way.”
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Bortoleto hasn’t responded to this message publicly, but he surely appreciated these words. Knowing that—even on his worst days—he has his mom and family by his side might be all the motivation he needs to bounce back from his current form.
The Sao Paulo-born driver’s father has also been a big and vocal supporter over the years. Lincoln Oliveira, through sheer hard work and climbing up the corporate ladder, became one of Brazil’s biggest telecom executives. He never drove a racing car himself, but loved the idea of motorsports, as did Andrea.
“Racing was something surprising to them because they were never in motorsports before. My father was not a racing driver, but he always loved it and my mother did as well. When I started racing, straightaway they were always at my races and I think they like me to be there and seeing me happy as well,” the 20-year-old once revealed in an interview.
Now that Bortoleto is in F1, Lincoln and Andrea must be gleaming with pride. With their son being one of the most talented names on the grid, brighter days—and a better car—are surely on the horizon.
For now, though, Bortoleto will have to get used to driving a sub-par F1 car. With Audi finally kicking off their ambitious project next year, Sauber may not be spending a lot of time improving this season’s mechanical package.
