Unless you’re flying by private jet there’s no direct flights to Bahrain from Japan’s main airports. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto added to what was already a complicated itinerary between the opening rounds of 2025’s first triple-header by going to the factory.
It’s a telling insight into how the Formula 2 champion aims to avoid the trough into which several of his predecessors have fallen. For every Lewis Hamilton who has graduated with honours from the feeder formulae into a top seat, there are several Giorgio Pantanos (and many more nearly men) who joined Formula 1’s midfield and sank into anonymity. The previous two F2 champions, Theo Pourchaire and Felipe Drugovich, are yet to do anything but test an F1 car.
