For Sauber F1 drivers Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix was anything but thrilling.
While Max Verstappen delivered another flawless performance to win in Suzuka, the race proved gruelling and uneventful for much of the midfield, particularly for those stuck outside the points.
A boring race at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix for Hülkenberg
Hülkenberg, who found himself battling in the thick of traffic for most of the afternoon as he got bottled up behind Jack Doohan in the second stint, summed up his experience with characteristic bluntness: “Yeah, long, dull, not much happening… I spent all my racing in traffic, too, and it’s not that fun, you know, looking at someone’s rear wing and the DRS.”
The German veteran lamented the increasingly difficult nature of overtaking in modern F1 machinery, highlighting the ever-worsening dirty air effect and the role of the freshly resurfaced Suzuka circuit.
“It’s so difficult with these cars… with the new tarmac and the low deg, it’s also, you know, it’s very hard to do anything. You saw that; I don’t know if there was an overtake.”
While Hülkenberg remains realistic about the performance level of the Sauber F1 car, he admitted the team has some way to go, especially on high-speed tracks like Suzuka:
“We still have work to do on the car and these fast-flowing circuits. We need more harmony, you know, more balance. Still a work in progress.”
Bortoleto on a learning weekend at Sauber F1
For rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, Suzuka was a landmark first outing at one of Formula 1’s most iconic circuits. But any excitement he had quickly gave way to monotony.
After just missing out on making Q2 along with his teammate, the Brazilian dropped to last at the start.
“Well, not so difficult, but just boring, you know. It’s difficult to overtake in Suzuka. It’s just a bit boring to stay behind, and even if you have more pace, that was, I think, my case.”
Despite feeling significantly faster than the cars in front during the latter stages of the race as he was on mediums following the decision to start on hards, Bortoleto struggled to make progress, ultimately boxed in by the circuit’s nature.
“Even with a four-tenth pace advantage, it was difficult to overtake Esteban [Ocon]. It’s a bit… not so nice, but it is what it is.”
Still, the Brazilian found some positives in what was otherwise a frustrating race:
“I think it was very solid. I managed to keep both of my tyres alive for very long in my stints. I think I did a lot of settings during the race that I didn’t try so many times in the previous races.
“This time, I was a bit more reactive with things, with the balance of the car and communication with my engineers. I think this is the positive.”
For Sauber F1, the Japanese Grand Prix underscored the continuing challenge of competing in a congested midfield, where traffic, tyre preservation, and track position often matter more than raw pace. Both drivers left Suzuka with valuable lessons and a shared sense of boredom.
As Bortoleto put it simply: “We move on.”
