Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto is set to join the Sauber team next year. Expectations are high for the 20-year-old driver. Moreover, the talent from São Paulo will be joined by Nico Hülkenberg, an experienced driver and formidable teammate. Felipe Massa has great confidence in Bortoleto, who he believes shares many similarities with Max Verstappen.
When Brazilian media asked Felipe Massa about his compatriot Gabriel Bortoleto, he immediately drew a comparison with four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Both are said to have an ‘aggressive’ driving style, characteristic of top-tier drivers. “I can already conclude that he is a very fast, talented driver,” said Massa. “He shows good things – especially his overtaking maneuvers are impressive. He is more aggressive than other drivers, and his speed is also impressive.
Is Gabriel Bortoleto the New Max Verstappen?
Gabriel Bortoleto secured the title during the final race of the Formula 2 season. He outperformed future Visa RB driver Isack Hadjar and won the junior championship. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri, among others. However, it was not a flawless season. “He made some mistakes, didn’t he?” admitted Massa. “But that’s what happens when you have such an aggressive and fast driving style. We’ve seen this before with Max Verstappen, for example.”
With his debut, Gabriel Bortoleto becomes the thirty-third Formula 1 driver from Brazil. In the past, drivers from this South American country have been quite successful. No less than three world champions share Bortoleto’s nationality; Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and of course, Ayrton Senna all became champions.
