Gabriel Bortoleto was left speechless when he heard about the victory of his good friend Max Verstappen after the Italian Grand Prix. The Brazilian has often expressed his admiration for the Dutchman, but he did not see the victory at Monza by the Red Bull driver coming: ‘That’s really insane, man,’ he said over the team radio.
Max Verstappen caused widespread astonishment with his impressive race at Monza. The Dutchman crossed the finish line a good nineteen seconds ahead of second-place Lando Norris, thus securing his third victory of the year. His good friend Gabriel Bortoleto, who has gotten to know Verstappen well through sim racing together, was also surprised by the Dutchman’s dominance in Italy.
“Holy shit, Max won?” the Brazilian asked immediately after the race over the team radio. “Yes, man, I thought you saw that on TV,” replied his race engineer Jose Manuel Lopez. “Max, Lando, Oscar on the podium. Leclerc in fourth place.” Bortoleto could hardly believe the news from his race engineer: “That’s really insane, man. Wow, this guy!”
‘Max Has a Good Heart’
Bortoleto previously opened up about his friendship with the world champion. The two got to know each other well through their shared passion for sim racing. Also, during a recent episode of the Beyond The Grid podcast, the young driver expressed his admiration for Verstappen. “He’s straightforward, not fake. He’s completely without facade,” Bortoleto shares. “The way he is in front of the cameras is the way he is off-camera. People might not always see his good side because he’s so direct that sometimes people portray him as a villain. But he’s not really like that. He has a very good heart, helps people, and also me. He is simply who he is.”
