Fernando Alonso described Gabriel Boltreto’s form this season as “exceptional” after the rookie scored the first points of his career at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Boltreto was one of the drivers who came under Alonso’s management, chasing the two-time world champions to seventh place at the end of the race at the Red Bull Ring. Although Alonso held, he said the Brazilian deserved points multiple times this year and his performance has returned for granted.
“I think it was very special. For everyone in Gabriel’s group,” Alonso said. “I think he’s outstanding this year. This weekend was particularly incredible, but for some reason (Nico) Halkenberg always scored points on Sunday.
“So this may not have been fair in Gabriel’s mind, so sometimes it’s good that he unlocked the moment now (which he feels) and hopefully the first of many points in Formula 1.”
The 20-year-old says he will take his heart out of achieving milestones, but he says he has far greater ambitions for his Formula 1 career than a top-10 finish.
“It’s obviously a big deal and I’m very confident about what I can get from doing this,” Boltreto said. “But that wasn’t to say I was worried. I knew I could score points. I had to be in the right position and be lucky, and we did that. But the biggest goal here is to win the race and fight for the championship.
Boltoleto believes that the Spaniards’ experience is a clear advantage in their fight at the end stage, and that when it takes him time to review it, he can learn from Alonso’s driving.
“It’s the research you should have when you’re relaxed, you go on the man’s boat and you check all the lines, how he looks in the mirror, the brakes for him to put the doctor in the right position.
“That’s not something you can do (I do at the moment) – you’re focused on what you’re trying to pass, and I’m a boy trying to get his first point and the guy feels like he’s relaxed there and knew exactly what he was doing.
“He was in control of the race there and he had a worse tire so he could still delay me by 2 laps, so that was a very good job from him.”