Verstappen advises Sauber to sign Bortoleto

The only vacancy in Formula 1 for next year is at Sauber, but the new management of the Swiss team is in no hurry to mention the name of teammate Nico Hulkenberg. But Max Verstappen thinks the best candidate would be Gabriel Bortoleto, who leads the individual championship in the youth series two rounds before the end of the Formula 2 season.

Of course, negotiations are going on behind the scenes, including current team drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, but something indicates that their chances of keeping their place at Sauber, which is going through a period of reform and transformation, a factory team Audi, do not overestimate it .

In this context, the name of Bortoleto, a 20-year-old Brazilian, last year’s F3 champion, who is now quite successful in Formula 2, was also mentioned. According to Verstappen, a participant in the McLaren youth program could be the best choice for Sauber/ Audi.

“If I were Sauber, I would have already signed a contract with him,” said the three-time world champion. – Moreover, the future belongs to young drivers, and in 2026 there will be major changes in the rules of Formula 1. It is always good when a driver adapts to the team over the course of a year, finds a common language with it , learns from his mistakes, but gradually feels comfortable behind the wheel of a car. Then he will be much more comfortable and much better prepared at the start of the 2026 season.”

Oscar Piastri, like Bortoleto, managed to win the F3 title on his first attempt and went on to become F2 champion. Now working with McLaren, the Australian is considered one of the most promising young drivers in Formula 1, and he also spoke highly of Gabriel.

“I think he makes a strong impression because he won the title last year as an F3 debutant and is now leading F2,” said Oscar. – If a driver shows such results, in my opinion he deserves a place in Formula 1.

I know from experience how frustrating it is not to have a place in the team’s main line-up (Piastri missed the 2022 season when he was Alpine’s reserve driver), and I hope Gabriel doesn’t have to go through this…”

Source: F1 News

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