Max Verstappen was unable to delight his fans at Zandvoort with a pole position. The Dutchman was not fast enough on Saturday, settling for third place behind McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. It was also a disappointment for Gabriel Bortoleto, now a good friend of the home hero, that the driver did not secure the coveted starting position.
In early August, Gabriel Bortoleto revealed details about his friendship with Max Verstappen. The drivers began sim racing together in 2023, and this shared passion brought the two closer. The Brazilian hoped that his good friend could please his fans with a pole position during his penultimate home race weekend in Zandvoort – before the Grand Prix disappears from the calendar after 2026 – but the McLaren drivers put a stop to that. The Dutchman ultimately had to concede almost three-tenths to the Papaya duo.
Verstappen Proud of Bortoleto
Bortoleto himself failed to advance beyond Q2, and therefore starts the race on Sunday from the thirteenth position. Nevertheless, Verstappen is proud of the rookie. “He’s a great guy,” the Red Bull driver said after the qualifying session. “He drove a very good qualifying today, so I think what he’s doing definitely seems to be working.” Verstappen even helped the Brazilian a bit with the preparation for his very first race in Zandvoort. “We also drove together on the simulator, and I shared the circuit model that I use for Zandvoort with him.”
