2025 Italian Grand Prix – Sunday
Monza, 7 September 2025 – Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber performed strongly in a thrilling Italian Grand Prix in Monza, with Gabriel Bortoleto bringing the car home in P8 to add four points to the team’s tally. It was a well-executed race for the Brazilian, who kept out of trouble in the opening phases and made up ground in the second half of the race as his rivals, on a different strategy, eventually pitted.
There was frustration and feelings of ‘what could have happened’ on the other side of the garage, as Nico Hulkenberg’s race ended before it even started, with a hydraulic issue forcing the team to retire the car at the end of the formation lap.
The team’s point total so far this season rises to 55 points, valid for P8 in the standings, as we close in to the positions ahead in the Constructors’ Championship. Today’s race brings an end to the European leg of the season: as we bid farewell to our motorhome and goodbye to our trucks, the team will now prepare for the final eight races of the season.
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal: “Sometimes it’s difficult to enjoy the job across both drivers when we face a situation like today, with Nico sidelined by a hydraulic issue that prevented him from starting. It’s something we need to fully understand and resolve.
“On the other side, Gabriel delivered a fantastic performance. He showed pace and composure on every lap, and while it was always going to be difficult to keep Albon behind on new mediums, getting stuck behind Gasly for a couple of laps ultimately made the difference. Nothing should be taken away from Gabriel’s drive — he scored valuable points, closed the gap to the team ahead, and can take a lot of confidence from his weekend. Overall, the performance gives us real encouragement as we rebuild, refocus, and push into the flyaways.”
Nico Hulkenberg (car number 27):
Race result: DNS
Fastest lap: n/a
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium - DNS)
“Obviously it’s extremely frustrating if you don’t even get to start the race. We experienced hydraulic issues that forced us to retire the car on the formation lap, which we now need to properly investigate and understand in detail. That said, we’ve clearly seen there is performance in the car, which gives us encouragement. Monza is always a difficult place to overtake, so it’s hard to say where we would have ended up today. On the positive side, it was a good weekend for Gabi, who scored valuable points for the team.“
Gabriel Bortoleto (car number 5):
Race result: 8th
Fastest lap: 1:22.139 (Lap 51)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium) – Lap 20 (New Hard)
“We had a very solid race, with good calls and good strategy. My pit stop was a bit slow, but I also put this on me, because I possibly arrived a bit too long in the pit box and it definitely didn't help. Overall, I am happy to have finished eighth and have made it back in the points: this is also important for the Constructors’ Championship. I am obviously hungry for more, but I believe this is the best we could have achieved this weekend – it’s been a consistent, productive one, and a good way to close the European leg of the season.”