Gabriel Bortoleto rages at Kimi Antonelli at the F1 Azerbaijan GP FP2

Kick Sauber F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto was unimpressed with fellow rookie and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli's driving during the FP2 session in the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It has been a year of contrasts for the two rookie drivers, given their performances in the 2025 season.

While the Italian started the year strongly with a series of impressive performances, especially in Melbourne and Miami, the reigning F2 champion looked out of pace against his experienced teammate, Nico Hulkenberg.

However, since the start of the European leg of the season, Gabriel Bortoleto has slowly closed down the deficit and on some weekends outperformed the German. Antonelli, on the other hand, has struggled to match George Russell's results and failed to score any significant points.

During the initial moments of the FP2 session in Baku, Kimi Antonelli found himself at the receiving end of Gabriel Bortoleto's raging comments when he blocked his way during a fast lap. On the team radio, the 20-year-old said:

"Yeah, nice one, he's cruising on the racing line."

At the end of the FP2 session, though, it was the Bologna-based native who finished ahead of Bortoleto in P4 while the latter could only manage a lowly P15.

Gabriel Bortoleto previews the 2025 Azerbaijan GP this weekend

Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto claimed that he believed that the Baku City Circuit was one of the most "difficult" circuits on the calendar, owing to its layout featuring long straights and proximity to the walls.

In his interview with F1.com ahead of the weekend, the Brazilian spoke about the challenges of the track and said:

"Definitely one of the most difficult circuits of the year. Low downforce street circuits, I believe it's always tough. Hopefully, we can be fighting for the positions we have been fighting for in the last races. Fighting for points feels good, and I think it's always a boost of confidence for the team, for myself, when we have a real thing to fight for like points."

He also cited the close competition between the midfield pack in the 2025 season, adding:

"It's clear if we do our job well done and we deliver the results we need to deliver we are gonna be there But it all depends on the performances we can pull on the track maximizing everything we have the package the car the driving sides and if we deliver all of this I believe we can be we can be fighting with them and hopefully we achieve this this position,"

Gabriel Bortoelto has finished in the points quite regularly ever since he scored his first points in Austria a couple of months back and has been the lead Sauber driver for the majority of the races since Hulkenberg's podium in Silverstone.

Edited by Devang Chauhan