He passed by F1.com as a man on a mission. His body language seemed confident and his eyes were laser focused. And a moment later Hulkenberg followed suit. Hulkenberg shared a few laughs with the Haas mechanics as they saw him in another race suit after two seasons. team.
Bortoleto, wandering among shipping containers and international photographers still in town for the first tests and races of next season, soon disappears down a narrow corridor that takes him to the Sauber garage and the back of the car he will be driving.
Analysis: Why Sauber chose Bortoletto and youth over Bottas and experience
Ten minutes later, Bortoleto goes into full-on concentration mode, slipping on a perfectly molded set of earmuffs, putting a fireproof balaclava on his head and donning a striking yellow, green and blue helmet. This is reminiscent of the late great national hero Ayrton Senna.
0900 – Start of business
As the clock struck 9 and the green light came on at the end of the pit lane, Bortoleto and the rest of the drivers in attendance took to the track and began racking up valuable mileage.
As a dedicated ‘young driver’ for testing (i.e. someone who has competed in no more than two Grands Prix), Bortoleto will be able to use the same Pirelli tire compound (two sets of C3, four sets of C3) as used during the Abu Dhabi race weekend. Two sets, C4 and C5.
This is quite different from Hulkenberg’s program. The experienced German will instead sample the homologated version of Pirelli’s 2025 tire, which includes the new ultra-soft C6 compound to expand the manufacturer’s already comprehensive range.
