PALMER: Bortoleto's Hungary performance puts him firmly in the running for rookie of the year

Gabriel Bortoleto scored his best result of the season in Budapest and is starting to look the real deal at Sauber, as he places himself firmly in the discussion for rookie of the year.

Bortoleto won Formula 2 last year in his first season in the category, which is a particularly impressive achievement, having clinched the F3 title the year before.

That’s the same resume of many of Formula 1’s strongest drivers, so it should really be no surprise that he’s thriving in his first season in F1, yet I still think he’s performing above expectations, even of those who have watched him come through the ranks in his consecutive title winning seasons.