“If I were Sauber, I would have signed him long ago,” says Max Verstappen. We’re talking about Gabriel Bortoleto, who is considered one of the possible candidates for the place alongside Nico Hülkenberg. The Swiss racing team has not yet made a decision and is exploring several options.
But while old hands like Valtteri Bottas are also on the list, Verstappen would clearly rely on youth. The Dutchman is a fan of giving young drivers a chance and considers the good performances of youngsters like Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto to be proof that rookies can also achieve strong results.
In view of the new regulations from 2026, he also sees it as a good time to put a youngster in the car: “It’s always good to get used to a team for a year, to make your mistakes here and there, to be well integrated and to understand the car a little,” he says. “Then you’ll feel much better prepared and more comfortable when things start in 2026.”
In terms of sport, Bortoleto would have the arguments on his side anyway. The Brazilian is the reigning Formula 3 champion and also leads the overall standings in Formula 2 with two weekends to go. The 20-year-old could do what Oscar Piastri did: win Formula 2 and Formula 3 straight away.
And coincidentally, Bortoleto is also a McLaren junior and is therefore at home in the same racing team as the Australian. “I think he’s doing an impressive job,” he says. “If you achieve results like this, then you deserve to be in Formula 1.”
He himself hadn’t managed the climb straight away. Piastri was initially parked as a reserve driver by Alpine after his Formula 2 title, before he was confirmed by the French as the new regular driver for 2023 after Fernando Alonso’s sudden departure, but he already had a contract with McLaren in his pocket.
“I hope for his sake that he doesn’t have to go through the same thing,” says Piastri. “But I don’t think anyone has to go through that like I did.”
“I think he’s doing a very good job,” he praises Bortoleto. “And if he can do that on his own, then he deserves a place in Formula 1.”
McLaren would also release its junior to Sauber – on the condition that Bortoleto remains part of McLaren, even if the team is filled with Lando Norris and Piastri for the next few years.
