Gabriel Bortoleto is pushing back against the grid's consensus on 2026's controversial regulations. While most drivers have criticized the new 47-53 electric-to-ICE split — Oscar Piastri called the power unit's self-learning elements "a pretty crap way of going racing" after Belgium — Audi's rookie argues adaptation is the job. "We should be able to adapt to any type of car," Bortoleto said in Hungary. "That's why we are the 22 drivers in the world doing Formula 1."
The new rules demand battery management over traditional slow-in, fast-out corner techniques. Terms like "superclipping" have entered the lexicon. Piastri and Lando Norris have both been caught out by systems that wrest control from the driver. But Bortoleto points to the standings: Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, and Norris remain at the front. The cream still rises. The broader grid disagrees — the FIA is already planning changes for 2027.
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