Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto walked away from the Australian Grand Prix with points in hand — and a slightly bewildered smile.
The Brazilian admitted that some of his overtakes during the chaotic season opener weren’t exactly planned. In fact, a few of them happened almost by accident.
As Formula 1’s new technical era roared into life in Melbourne, the strange dynamics created by the hybrid systems and active aerodynamics left drivers grappling with closing speeds and energy strategies that could swing dramatically from one straight to the next.
For Bortoleto, it meant suddenly blasting past rivals when he hadn’t even intended to attack.
‘Overtakes… by mistake’
The Audi charger found himself deep in the midfield battle after qualifying 10th, an ideal vantage point to experience firsthand how unpredictable the new generation of cars can be in combat.
"It was very nice, I must say, but a lot of things to be learned still," he said. "I made overtakes – that I didn't want to make – by mistake, because I had so much energy and the other car was clipping like crazy.
"But you need to think a lot when you're racing. Last year, everything was much more predictable. So, as soon as you make an overtake, it was done.
“And now you make an overtake, you need to calculate the next three straights, because maybe the guy will overtake you back, then you need to overtake him back in the other one. And it keeps going like that until everyone is in the same state of energy.
"I wish I could give you more than this, but I'm still a bit confused with the regs. And I'm getting to know them better while we live them."
The ever-changing energy levels meant that every move was only the beginning of another tactical puzzle – and sometimes, as Bortoleto discovered, the cars simply launched past rivals whether the driver intended it or not.
Asked whether the system was too complicated or simply something drivers would adapt to, Bortoleto offered a measured verdict.
"I think you'll learn over time."
A Result Few Expected
Despite the confusion on track, the race delivered a milestone moment for Audi. Bortoleto finished ninth, scoring points in the team’s first Grand Prix and helping it finish ahead of outfits like Alpine, Williams and the debuting Cadillac Formula 1 Team.
Given Audi’s troubled pre-season, the result felt almost surreal to the 2024 FIA F2 champion.
“I’m very happy and very positive,” commented Bortoleto. “The team has done an incredible job. All winter working very hard to put a car in one piece that finished the first race, got the first Q3.
“So, it's the start of a long journey, but extremely happy.
©Audi
“If someone told me we were going to score points in our first ever race and be in Q3, man, I would have said they were drunk or what’, because it was a bit tough at the beginning for us – a lot of problems, a lot of things happening.
“But the team has managed to put an incredible piece of art and deliver a great result.”
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Australian Grand PrixThe race itself felt like a whirlwind from the cockpit. After a difficult launch dropped him out of the top ten, Bortoleto had to fight his way back through a race packed with incidents, safety cars and frantic energy battles.
"There were a lot of messy things happening," he said. "It was just a crazy race. I still need to think a little bit [about] what happened.
“But the start was a messy one. A lot of lock-ups, a lot of very good and bad starts. And pitstops, safety cars. It was one of the 100 [things] that happened."
For Bortoleto, the new Formula 1 era has already delivered confusion, chaos – and points. Not a bad combination for a debut weekend.
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