Gabriel Bortoleto once again drew attention on Monday after scoring points for the second consecutive Grand Prix in Formula 1. The Brazilian stated that Audi’s performance in its debut season exceeded the paddock’s expectations and showed confidence in the team’s future.
Bortoleto finished the Belgian Grand Prix in eighth place, reaching ten points and remaining responsible for Audi’s entire points tally in the championship. “If we’ve started like this, I’m sure that in the coming years we’ll be fighting for great things,” said the driver, who has already finished three 2026 races inside the top ten.
The operation of the new power units also dominated the headlines. Oscar Piastri criticized the influence of electronic systems on performance and called “a very horrible way to race” the idea that the starting grid could be decided by energy management, while Toto Wolff stated that Mercedes currently has the most powerful engine in the category.
Inside Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli’s Spa win increased the pressure on George Russell. The Briton retired on the first lap after a touch with Lewis Hamilton, fell to third in the standings and is now 50 points behind his teammate, a scenario that has already sparked questions about his chances of contending for the title.
Off the track, the Bahrain Grand Prix was ruled out as an option for the start of October, keeping the calendar’s final stretch undefined after the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. F1 now prepares for the Hungarian Grand Prix, scheduled for next weekend at the Hungaroring, the last event before the European summer break.
