2025 Belgian Grand Prix – Sunday

Spa-Francorchamps, 27 July 2025 – KICK Sauber F1 Team extended its points-scoring streak to five races, as Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth in a wet-to-dry Belgian Grand Prix. The Brazilian, starting in tenth, remained in contention for a points finish throughout the afternoon and displayed solid pace to bring home two more points – his second top ten finish in his rookie F1 season.

On the other side of the garage, Nico Hulkenberg’s race was an eventful one: starting 14th, he was one of the first drivers to switch to dry tyres, a move that rewarded him with a big jump in positions. Running into the points behind Gabriel, he lost ground with a second pit-stop: following the tyre change, strong pace allowed him to make up position, but he ran out of laps upon reaching 12th place.

The result leaves KICK Sauber F1 Team in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with 43 points to the team’s name and one race to go before the summer break – next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal: “The race was significantly delayed following heavy rain before the start, which created a lot of debate around tyre choice. In the end, once we got going, the conditions made things relatively straightforward. Both drivers got away cleanly and managed their opening laps well.

“Gabi once again delivered a flawless performance. He was rock solid throughout the weekend – in every practice session, the sprint, and during today's race. Finishing P9 means points for the fifth consecutive race, which is a great achievement and a credit to the hard work from everyone at the factory and trackside.

“Nico’s race turned out to be more challenging. As his pace began to drop off in the second half of the race, it became clear that the original one-stop strategy would leave him exposed, so we made the call to box him a second time. Unfortunately, he rejoined behind Ocon which meant time was lost in traffic, and we weren’t able to maximise the strategy as planned. These are the kinds of calls that are always easier to assess in hindsight, and we’ll review it carefully back at the factory. Overall, it’s been another encouraging weekend for the team, and we’ll look to carry this momentum into Hungary.”

Nico Hulkenberg (car number 27):
Race result: 12th
Fastest lap: 1:45.068 (Lap 39)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Inter) – Lap 12 (New Medium) – Lap 33 (New Medium)

"It turned out to be quite an unusual race right from the beginning – waiting over an hour after the first formation lap for the weather conditions to improve. Missing out on points at the end by just a second is obviously disappointing. We had to make a second stop with around 11 laps to go – my front tyres were dropping off significantly, and I was struggling with front locking and understeer. Staying out wasn’t really an option, especially with our higher downforce setup compared to Pierre Gasly behind, who was running lower downforce. We therefore opted for the stop and tried to fight back, but unfortunately it didn’t quite work out. That said, our pace was decent and we made progress. Gabi picked up some valuable points, which is important for the Constructors’ standings. Once again, we showed we’re competitive in the midfield, and that’s a positive takeaway as we head to Budapest next weekend."

Gabriel Bortoleto (car number 5):

Race result: 9th
Fastest lap: 1:46.966 (Lap 41)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Inter) – Lap 13 (New Medium)

"I'm happy to have made it back into the top ten today. The conditions were quite challenging – a wet start and then the track drying up always make things unpredictable – but we stayed focused, made the right calls, and managed to bring the car home in P9. Overall, I'm happy with how the race went: I feel we extracted everything we could from our package. Our pace has been solid all weekend, and that’s a credit to the whole team for giving me a car that felt good in every session. Of course, as a driver, you always want to be fighting higher up the grid, but this was a solid result and another decent step forward. We scored two more points, and that gives me an extra confidence boost heading into the next round in Budapest in just a few days. I feel we are moving in the right direction, and I’m excited to keep pushing and wrap up the first half of my rookie season on a high."