F1 Grand Prix of Brazil - Source: Getty
Audi's latest signing, Gabriel Bortoleto, has shared admiration for Max Verstappen after trying to follow his footsteps since his go-karting days. Bortoleto followed a slightly unconventional career path. Unlike other drivers, who impress instantly in FRECA, he had two underwhelming seasons in the series before he blew up in F3 and surprised everyone with his performance.
The last two seasons have seen him perform at a very high level. He won the F3 championship on debut and is leading the F2 championship in his rookie season as well. It is this rich vein of form that helped Gabriel Bortoleto sign up with McLaren's academy early in the year and has now lured Audi into signing him for the 2025 F1 season.
Talking about the drivers he looks up to, Bortoleto was quick to point out that Max Verstappen has been the one benchmark he's always kept his eyes on. Talking about this on the F1 Nation podcast, the Brazilian said that he was part of the same Go-karting team that the Dutch driver was, and as a result, the benchmark was more or less always there. He said,
