Gabriel Bortoleto reveals which fellow driver on the grid he admires. The Brazilian rookie is highly impressed by Max Verstappen‘s driving style, particularly the way he can employ ‘so many techniques in a single lap’. According to Bortoleto, it’s not at all easy to compete at Verstappen’s level in Formula 1.
Gabriel Bortoleto has been a Formula 1 driver for half a year, but has only managed to break into the top ten once. The Brazilian finished eighth in Austria, earning his first four World Championship points for Sauber. However, the results do not fully reflect how Bortoleto has driven in his first twelve races, and the ‘impressive’ Brazilian has been praised by teammate Nico Hülkenberg for his debut year performance.
Bortoleto Praises Verstappen
Bortoleto has also revealed which driver he finds ‘impressive’: Max Verstappen. The Sauber driver is particularly a fan of the Dutchman’s ‘incredible’ driving style. “You have data, you learn, you try to replicate and do better, but the hardest part about being a driver is to be so complete,” Bortoleto tells The Race. “In my life, I haven’t seen many drivers who could do that. And the ones I have seen, are all world champions.”
“So there are drivers like Max Verstappen, a driver who can use so many techniques in a single lap that it’s just unbelievable. It’s impressive, and it’s not at all easy to compete at this level,” Bortoleto praises the Red Bull driver. The admiration is mutual, as Verstappen praised the young Brazilian last year in São Paulo, even before Sauber had contracted the driver. “If I were Sauber, I would have already signed him,” the four-time world champion said at the time.
