Verstappen urged Red Bull to ‘keep an eye’ on Bortoleto before F1 entry

Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has lifted the lid on a little-known piece of paddock insight: he’d been quietly championing Gabriel Bortoleto long before the Brazilian rising star landed his spot on the 2025 F1 grid.

Bortoleto joined Sauber at the beginning of this year after a phenomenal climb through the junior ranks – claiming back-to-back titles in the FIA F3 and F2 championships in 2023 and 2024.

And according to Verstappen, the Red Bull camp had plenty of warning that a special talent was on the way, as he revealed during an appearance on the Pelas Pistas podcast.

“I already said to the team before you even got to Formula 1, ‘keep an eye on Gabi.’ But now we’re all here, and let’s just see how it evolves,” he said.

It’s praise any young driver would treasure – but for Bortoleto, it’s an especially sparkling endorsement, given it comes from the sport’s dominant force of this era.

Dreaming Big: Could Max and Gabi Ever Share a Garage?

Verstappen also gave a candid glimpse into his own future, acknowledging that even he hasn’t decided how long he’ll remain on the grid after his current Red Bull contract ends.

“First of all, I don’t even know how long I’m going to do myself. I have a contract until 2028, but after that, nothing is agreed on or what. I don’t even know myself,” he said.

But what he does know is that he wants to see Bortoleto fighting at the sharp end of the field – and sooner rather than later.

“I just hope for Gabi that he gets an opportunity within the next three, four years to be really competitive in the front and fight for podiums and then, if that’s in the same team, even better, because that means that we are both fighting for the best positions,” the Dutchman concluded.

Bortoleto currently sits 19th in F1’s Drivers’ standings with 19 points so far, his strongest result being a determined sixth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ecclestone: ‘Bortoleto worth his weight in gold’

Verstappen isn’t the only one vaunting the merits and talent of Brazil’s rising star. Last summer, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone – a man who apparently helped promote Bortoleto to F1 – urged Ferrari to sign up the 21-year-old.

“I’m glad we were able to help the Bortoleto family with their entry into Formula 1. The boy is worth his weight in gold!” said the 95-year-old who still spends significant time in Brazil along with his Brazilian wife, Fabiana.

“Bortoleto’s strong performances in a midfield team like Sauber should really wake Ferrari up now,” he added. “The next driver question for the Italians needs to be resolved with the Brazilian.”

• Read also: Bortoleto gets brotherly boost from Hulkenberg after Brazil bust

With Verstappen and Ecclestone keeping tabs, Sauber investing in his development, and the paddock nicely buzzing about his potential, Bortoleto’s path is beginning to look like one of F1’s most promising storylines.

And if Verstappen’s early instincts prove right, this could be the start of an era – one that he himself hinted might one day see them sharing the same garage, fighting for the same trophies, at Ferrari or elsewhere.

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