Bortoleto Scores Points in Mexico, Matching Audi's Best F1 Result and Congratulating Rival Antonelli — Football

Gabriel Bortoleto secured eighth place at the Mexican Grand Prix after penalties were applied to other drivers, ending his points drought since July. The Brazilian driver celebrated the achievement as a milestone for Audi in its debut season and offered congratulations to Kimi Antonelli, his former karting and F2 rival, who recently became the youngest F1 champion.

Gabriel Bortoleto returned to scoring points in Formula 1 by finishing eighth at the Mexican Grand Prix held on Sunday, November 1, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Although the Brazilian driver initially crossed the finish line in 11th place, he was awarded points following penalties imposed on McLaren's Oscar Piastri and both Alpine drivers, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly.

This result matches the best performance achieved by Audi during its inaugural year in Formula 1. It also ends a scoring drought for Bortoleto that had lasted since the Belgian Grand Prix in July, where he previously finished eighth at Spa-Francorchamps. The driver described the performance in Mexico City as highly positive, particularly given that he missed several practice sessions on Friday and Saturday due to car issues.

Bortoleto expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that the race demonstrated good pace and strong starts for his team. He stated that the experience leaves him motivated for the upcoming race at Interlagos in Brazil, where he will compete on home soil on a track where the Audi car is expected to perform well. He emphasized that despite the challenging weekend, the team ultimately came out ahead.

The Audi driver also extended his congratulations to Kimi Antonelli, who recently became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. Bortoleto and Antonelli share a long competitive history, having raced together in karting since 2016 when they first moved to Europe, as well as in the F2 category. While Bortoleto won the F2 championship in 2024, Antonelli finished sixth that season before securing a full-time seat with Mercedes for the 2025 F1 season, while Bortoleto joined Sauber, which transitioned into Audi.

Reflecting on their rivalry, Bortoleto acknowledged Antonelli's incredible season and stated that he believes in his own potential to fight for podiums and victories soon. He noted that their past encounters in karting and F2 were interesting, though they did not directly compete for the title against each other in 2024 due to different teams and chassis setups. Bortoleto highlighted that these experiences prove motorsport relies not only on driver skill but also on having a competitive car and being in the right place at the right time.

Formula 1 returns to the track this week for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, scheduled for Sunday, November 8.

Sources: Globo Esporte.