Max Verstappen has won four world championships and finished first at 65 Grand Prix since making his debut in 2015. The Dutchman has won all his championships in consecutive seasons, even when Red Bull has not delivered him the fastest car on the grid. He has managed to win races that, on paper, he shouldn’t, and always has his car in a position to challenge.
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto is friends with Verstappen outside of F1. The 20-year-old is an ambassador to Verstappen’s sim racing team. The Brazilian star has linked the four-time world champion to fellow Brazilian great, Ayrton Senna.
Gabriel Bortoleto likens Max Verstappen to Ayrton Senna
Gabriel Bortoleto has completed the first half of his debut season in F1, racing against the best drivers in the world. This includes four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who Bortoleto believes to be the best the sport has seen.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Bortoleto said: “Max is a great guy. For me, along with Ayrton Senna, he’s the greatest driver of all time. I really admire his way of approaching racing, his way of understanding the sport, his understanding of the car, and the calm with which he approaches everything. He’s truly an example for me of how I want to be as a driver.”
Two-Time F1 Champion Points Finger at Red Bull for Not Backing Max Verstappen’s Title Fight
Bortoleto is singing Verstappen’s praises after the Dutchman has won four world championships in a row. However, in the 2021 and 2024 seasons, Red Bull did not always have the quickest car. Verstappen was able to pull results out of the bag when others were faster.
Verstappen is looking likely to lose his grip on F1 this season, with the McLaren drivers battling it out for the championship. But with Max only 69 points behind, he can’t be counted out just yet.
Max Verstappen helped Gabriel Bortoleto get into F1
Last season, Max Verstappen urged Sauber to sign Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 season. Bortoleto has revealed that the 27-year-old has helped him by giving Gabriel advice, and that he had been talking about the Brazilian behind the scenes.
Bortoleto continued: “We started playing video games and simulators together more and more. Since then, we’ve been in touch a lot, and he helps me a lot. For example, he helped me a lot on my way to F1 by giving me a lot of advice and recommendations, and talking about me with people in the paddock.”
“I Would Have Signed Him Already”: Max Verstappen Backs Gabriel Bortoleto for 2025 Sauber Seat
“Jonathan [Wheatley] told me that even before I joined Sauber-Audi, Max was very positive about me. I know Max doesn’t usually talk about this himself, especially in front of the media, but it’s something he helped me with: talking about me to people in F1. I was getting good results, and he wanted to help me.”
Bortoleto has only scored points in Austria this season. In that race, Verstappen gave the Sauber driver a slipstream to help the youngster qualify. Despite his lack of points, Bortoleto has shown flashes of pace. The 20-year-old came into F1 after winning the F3 and F2 championships on the bounce. The Brazilian is quick and talented, but can he develop into a world champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
