Nov.13 (GMM) A Brazilian podcast has lifted the lid on one of the paddock’s most unexpected and genuine friendships – Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto.
On Pelas Pistas, the two traded stories about how their relationship began long before Bortoleto arrived in Formula 1, offering a rare glimpse of Verstappen far removed from his on-track ruthlessness.
The earliest encounter came long before Bortoleto’s Sauber debut.
Verstappen recalled standing in the Monaco pitlane watching junior drivers prepare for an F4 race when a teenage Bortoleto suddenly vaulted over the wall.
“Max! Max! Max! Let’s take a picture!” the Brazilian had shouted, just minutes before the formation lap – leaving Verstappen thinking, “This guy is crazy.”
Bortoleto admitted he simply wanted advice before starting from the front row. Verstappen’s reply was typically blunt: “Flat out.”
“Turn one, I crashed,” Bortoleto laughed.
Their first meeting had in fact taken place even earlier – in karting at Adria. “I was intrigued by this guy with long hair who was winning everything,” Verstappen said. “So I went into the tent to say hello and asked for a photo.”
“That was strange,” Bortoleto admitted. “A Formula 1 driver asking me for a photo – I was pumped.”
Since then, the two have become close – sharing slipstreams, chatting during driver parades, and racing together on simulators.
Bortoleto praised Verstappen for treating him with respect even before his F1 promotion. “Max has never been like the others,” he said.
“Ninety percent of drivers won’t even look at you unless you’re in F1. Max always helped me – and not just me. Look at the simulator guys.”
Their simulator battles also became part of the story.
“At first I spun at every corner,” Bortoleto said. “Max was perfect.”
“Now we race together – but I do the setups,” Verstappen joked. “He’s convinced he can do them better than me. Every time he gets close to my time, he changes something and goes slower.”
Bortoleto described Verstappen as “a beast” in the car but surprisingly gentle off track: “He’ll talk to fans for hours unless we drag him away.”
Verstappen again pushed back against the idea he dislikes journalists. “I don’t want to waste energy. I give it all in the car,” he said.
“And becoming a father doesn’t make you slower – after a bad race I go home, see my daughter smile, and forget everything.”
When asked about the possibility of being teammates one day, Verstappen left the door open. “I look at how someone behaves off the track,” he said. “A driver pairing explodes because of what happens away from the cameras.
“Gabi is hungry but humble, a killer on track and self-critical off it. I’ve always told my team to keep an eye on him. I hope he’s in a competitive car in a few years – and if we’re together, even better.”
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