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Gabriel Bortoleto Wins Over Fans With Candid Passenger Princess Driving Lesson
Audi rookie Gabriel Bortoleto opened up about pre-race nerves and passenger seat discomfort while offering a no-nonsense driving tutorial during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-08-18T07:19:45.000Z - 3 min read
Stepping away from the demands of Grand Prix competition, Gabriel Bortoleto became the latest Formula 1 driver to swap seats for the camera during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Taking part in Amelia Dimoldenberg's online interview series Passenger Princess, the Brazilian rookie offered an unusually earnest perspective on life behind the wheel while trying his hand as an in-car instructor.
Behind the wheel of an Audi RS 5 Avant, Bortoleto guided the host through fundamental circuit techniques, focusing on disciplined throttle management and hitting the apex accurately. The lesson proved daunting for Dimoldenberg, who noted that reaching 60 km/h felt intense enough to test her limits, remarking that such speeds were likely too fast for her comfort.
Between driving drills, the conversation turned to the psychological realities of professional racing, including pre-race jitters, childhood sacrifices, and the unique isolation of competing at the highest level. Asked about sitting beside someone else at speed, Bortoleto conceded that relinquishing control does not come naturally, explaining that he remains uncomfortable in the passenger seat even when travelling with fellow professional racing drivers.
Their exchanges also touched on life away from Europe, his Brazilian roots, and the nature of paddock friendships across different garages. Dimoldenberg brought her trademark deadpan style to the car, yet Bortoleto met the banter with direct, unvarnished honesty rather than playing up to the comedic format, discussing the early commitments required to build a motorsport career.
That straightforward approach resonated strongly with viewers, with the episode quickly gathering more than 278,000 views. Fans praised the Audi driver for treating the driving lesson with genuine seriousness, drawing comparisons to a university lecture and contrasting his sincere demeanour with the more sarcastic appearances previously delivered by other drivers on the grid.
Bortoleto follows a growing roster of Formula 1 contemporaries who have appeared on the series, including George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon, and Kimi Antonelli. While Dimoldenberg playfully teased that he had not matched Bearman's previous showing, audience feedback largely celebrated the rookie's patient guidance.
The light-hearted feature comes during a promising debut campaign for Bortoleto in the Audi garage. Holding 14th place in the drivers' championship with 10 points, the Brazilian driver currently leads his experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who occupies 18th position on two points.
With the summer break drawing to a close, attention now pivots back to competitive action on track. Formula 1 returns to racing at the Dutch Grand Prix from 21 to 23 August, where Bortoleto will resume his rookie season at Zandvoort.