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Gabriel Bortoleto Shatters F1 Myth: Is Verstappen Really Slow?
Highlights
- Gabriel Bortoleto says top drivers adapt well to 2026 regulations.
- New 2026 cars require different energy management strategies on track.
- Bortoleto dismisses fixed driving styles, emphasizes driver adaptability.
- Top drivers like Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc remain competitive in 2026.
- Hamilton has one win and five podiums, third in championship 2026.
- 2026 regulations change power units by removing MGU-H and energy split.
Gabriel Bortoleto says the 2026 Formula 1 rules haven’t blunted the fastest drivers, arguing adaptability keeps the elite at the front. The Audi rookie has scored all 10 team points.
He rejects claims the overhauled power-unit package, minus the MGU‑H and with a new energy split, forces a wholesale driving-style reset that reshuffles the competitive order.
“We are the 22 drivers who should be able to handle any car and how it must be driven.”
Dissenting voices remain. Max Verstappen labelled the cars “Formula E on steroids”, Lando Norris called racing chaotic, Esteban Ocon felt constrained, and Oscar Piastri likened adaptation to rewiring the brain.
Bortoleto counters that the job is to adjust, not cling to fixed styles. He describes fine-tuning corner entries and managing deployment timing rather than reinventing his technique.
The 2026 cars harvest differently under braking and vary electrical deployment through corners and straights. That can invert the classic late-brake, early-throttle template at certain sequences.
At Spa, Bortoleto highlighted zero deployment at Fagnes (Turn 13), enabling alternative lines and earlier throttle. He underlined the point with P8 for Audi.
Spa Fagnes: no deployment at Turn 13 allowed earlier throttle and P8 for Audi.
That variety reduces the risk of power-led instability mid-corner, broadening workable techniques. It rewards precision on harvest and deployment, not a single, universal approach.
Bortoleto also pushes back on fears energy management overwhelms driver influence. He cites adaptability, his engineer’s reinforcement, and execution under pressure as continuing differentiators.
“Do you see Verstappen being slow? Do you see a seven-time world champion being slow this year?”
Results support that view. Lewis Hamilton owns one win and five podiums, third on 159 points. Verstappen has two podiums despite reliability, seventh on 91, with Lando Norris quick.
Verstappen has also pressed Red Bull on execution and roles this year, seeking stability as the rules bed in.
His latest victory further underlines the ceiling remains high for the best, regardless of regulatory change.
Bortoleto’s season remains steady within Audi’s rebuild. Ten points reinforce his case for a long-term role, alongside a team focus on efficient energy use and race execution.
The headline is unchanged: the quickest tend to stay quick. The 2026 rules raise the premium on adaptability and energy management, but driver skill still defines the front.
Visual Summary
The Fast Don’t Get Slower.
Adaptation Wins
Adaptation Wins
Bortoleto throws out the ‘driving style’ myth: “We adapt. That’s the job.” The 2026 F1 car resets the rules, but not who’s fast.
⚡️
Major Rule Shakeup
No MGU-H
New energy balance
“Strange” driving demand
(Verstappen: “Formula E on steroids!”)
New energy balance
“Strange” driving demand
(Verstappen: “Formula E on steroids!”)
Adapt Or Fall Back
🏁
The Best Stay Best
Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris
Still at the front.
Still at the front.
10
points
points
Bortoleto: 100% of Audi’s F1 tally
Spa performance: P8, mastered energy tricks
Smart energy ≠ slow
“It’s still racing.
The fast drivers are still fast—
that’s the art of F1.”
— Gabriel Bortoleto
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
