Bortoleto: “I’ve admired Verstappen since I was little”
Sauber’s new signing Gabriel Bortoleto has explained why he chose Max Verstappen as a driver he respects as he climbs the junior series.Gabriel Bortoleto, the young driver who will race for Sauber in 2025, has revealed that he has “always admired” Max Verstappen and his driving style, citing the Dutchman as his racing inspiration alongside Ayrton Senna.
It was announced last week that Bortoleto, who is leading the F2 championship with two races left in the season, will race with Sauber in the 2025 season.
Asked on the F1 Nation podcast which drivers he admires, apart from his manager Fernando Alonso , the Brazilian replied: “I really like Max’s driving style these days. I really admire his qualifying and how much he gets out of the car in those laps, the way he drives and races.”
“He may have been racing really hard,” Bortoleto said of the recent controversy following Verstappen’s penalty for his driving in the Mexican Grand Prix.
“We have seen it in recent races but at the end of the day they are fighting for the world championship so we all expect them to race each other like that.”
Explaining his bond with Verstappen, Bortoleto said: “Ever since I was a little kid I always admired Max’s driving style because I was part of the go-kart team he had growing up, so they always told me stories about him and I always thought, ‘What would Max do in that situation?’”
“I always wanted to be a bit like him, because he won everything in the junior series.”
Bortoleto, who did not forget to mention his national hero, added: “Obviously, my biggest hero is Ayrton Senna. For everything he did on the track as a driver, but also off the track… I think he was a great person with great moral values and the legacy he left behind and everything he did for Brazil inspires me.”
