F1 star admits overtaking rivals 'by mistake' due to 'confusing' 2026 regulations

Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, Audi, Aston Martin, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Australian Grand Prix

F1 star admits overtaking rivals 'by mistake' due to 'confusing' 2026 regulations

Gabriel Bortoleto finished ninth in Australia

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 12 March 2026 14:28

F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto has suggested that he made some overtakes at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix 'by mistake'.

Bortoleto managed to finish ninth in Australia, picking up valuable points in what was Audi's first race as an F1 team.

The German car manufacturers took over Sauber at the end of last year, and Brazilian youngster Bortoleto remained with the team through their transition, as did his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.

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But now the 21-year-old has suggested that the new rules that have swept into F1 this year made things a little 'confusing' during the race in Australia.

F1's latest regulations overhaul has been designed to increase excitement and make overtaking easier, and when comparing the 2025 Australian Grand Prix with this year's event, that's exactly what they have done.

There were 120 overtakes in this year's race, compared to 45 last year. But Bortoleto has suggested that some of his throughout the race were made 'by mistake', due to the incredible closing speeds when one car is 'clipping', and the car behind is utilising its full battery deployment.

"It was very nice, I must say, but a lot of things to be learned still," Bortoleto told media after the race. "I made overtakes - that I didn't want to make - by mistake, because I had so much energy and the other car was clipping like crazy.

"But you need to think a lot when you're racing. Last year, everything was much more predictable. So, as soon as you make an overtake, it was done. And now you make an overtake, you need to calculate the next three straights, because maybe the guy will overtake you back, then you need to overtake him back in the other one. And it keeps going like that until everyone is in the same state of energy.

"I wish I could give you more than this, but I'm still a bit confused with the regs. And I'm getting to know them better while we live them."

F1 2026 Regulations: Every new rule and car change explained

F1 drivers needing to harvest energy on straights

With the 'boost button' and 'overtake mode' being able to be utilised both together during one straight to provide a huge surge of energy, drivers need to be clever about when they are managing their battery capacity and when they are fully utilising their car's power in 2026.

Following the removal of the MGU-H from the new power units, the MGU-K is the main source of re-harvesting energy back to the battery in 2026, and this involves drivers' actions helping to harvest this energy.

There are four ways in which drivers are able to harvest energy through the MGU-K: braking, when racing on part throttle, lifting and coasting, as well as 'super clipping', which happens at the end of a straight when the car is at full throttle.

Drivers sometimes have to do these things even during the course of a single qualifying lap in order to maximise their ability to go flat out on certain straights and therefore improve their lap time, but they certainly have to do it during the race.

It remains to be seen whether or not we will still see the same amount of overtakes once all the drivers have fully got used to the new regulations.

F1 2026 Regulations: What has happened to the MGU-H?

Australian Grand Prix 2026 regulations Audi Gabriel Bortoleto