Gabriel Bortoleto’s route to Formula 1 has been anything but lonely. Behind the scenes of his rise – from junior single-seaters to his arrival at Sauber in 2025 – a familiar figure has quietly been in his corner, offering guidance, perspective and the occasional nudge at the right moment.
As Audi prepares to officially take over Sauber ahead of its full works era, Bortoleto’s rookie F1 campaign has already carried the hallmarks of maturity beyond his years.
Now, the Brazilian has opened the door on a friendship that helped shape the decisions that put him on the grid.
A Friendship Forged Beyond the Paddock
Bortoleto’s bond with Max Verstappen didn’t suddenly appear once he reached Formula 1. According to the Audi-Sauber driver, it has been years in the making – and only recently became public.
“I have had a great friendship with Max for a long time already,” Bortoleto explained, quoted by RacingNews365.
“I believe it’s exposed now in the media, because you guys see me with him, going around, sometimes doing some live streams, playing games and stuff.
“Obviously, we have got closer and closer in Formula 1 because we are racing together, and we spend a lot of time together, and he is a great guy.
“What many people don’t know is that he has helped me so much throughout my career, even when I was in the junior formulas.”
Those moments – gaming streams, simulator sessions and shared downtime – may look casual from the outside. But for Bortoleto, they masked something far more significant: access to the mindset of a four-time world champion while his own future was still undecided.
Advice That Shaped a Formula 1 Future
Before winning back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles, and before McLaren and Sauber entered the picture, Bortoleto was already leaning on Verstappen’s experience when it mattered most.
“I’m used to asking him a lot about things, even my own contracts, when I was still in the junior series.
“When I was about to sign for McLaren [as a junior driver], I asked him for his opinion. When I was about to join Sauber, I also asked him about it.
“He has been involved, even if people don’t really know about it, in a way that he has always been able to help me if I had any questions.
“He was not telling me what to do, but he was giving me his opinion about things on questions I asked him, and that’s very nice of him because he doesn’t really need to do that.
“But he has always been very nice and open with me. So we have created this thing, and it’s cool. We have practised together in the sim, and he helps me a lot.
“Hopefully, I have helped him as well. I try to push him, but I definitely have a lot more to learn from him than him from me.”
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Rookie no more: Why Bortoleto has left a mark on Hülkenberg
That quiet mentorship proved invaluable as McLaren – locked into long-term deals with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – allowed Bortoleto to leave and seize his chance with Sauber, now Audi’s chosen foundation for its F1 future.
Verstappen, for his part, has been watching that journey closely – and with genuine optimism.
“I hope, let’s say, in general, I just hope for Gabi, that he gets an opportunity within the next three, four years, of course, to be really competitive in the front and fight for podiums and then, if that’s in the same team, I mean, even better, because that means that we are both fighting for the best positions,” the Red Bull charger said.
For Bortoleto, the path to Formula 1 was paved by talent and titles. But along the way, a champion’s voice – steady, honest and freely given – helped guide each crucial turn.
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