F1 | Sauber’s Jonathan Wheatley compares Bortoleto to Verstappen: “Both fast, obsessive and tireless”. Sauber’s Jonathan Wheatley compared Gabriel Bortoleto to Max Verstappen.

Jonathan Wheatley draws bold comparison between Bortoleto and Verstappen

During the Baku weekend, Sauber Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley made headlines with a striking comparison involving Gabriel Bortoleto, highlighting the Brazilian’s talent and qualities. Wheatley, a long-serving figure at Red Bull before joining Sauber, drew an intriguing parallel between the rookie and Max Verstappen during his early years in Formula 1.

“I always find it difficult to compare drivers, because each one is a different individual,” Jonathan Wheatley began, “but both are incredibly fast, of course. And beyond that, they have the ability to drive the car at the limit while still having enough mental margin to think about the bigger picture of the situation.”

A shared obsession with improvement

The Sauber boss stressed that Gabriel Bortoleto and Max Verstappen also share a very similar approach away from the track. “Both spend a lot of time on the simulator, even in the days leading up to a race weekend, and they share this obsession with finding every tiny advantage possible,” Wheatley explained.

Looking back at Verstappen’s early days

Reflecting on the past, Wheatley recalled Verstappen’s arrival in Formula 1 and his rapid growth. “Max had already served a solid apprenticeship with Toro Rosso before making the step to Red Bull. I knew his father, I knew the family for years, and I’ve known Max since he was a child. Gabriel I’ve only just met, but it’s the same thing: he too has an incredible work ethic and a passion for racing. Every time he has an opportunity, he’s either driving something or working on the simulator.”

Sauber and Audi put their faith in Gabriel Bortoleto

Wheatley’s words underline the great faith Sauber, and by extension the future Audi project, place in the young Brazilian. Gabriel Bortoleto is not only seen as a raw talent with natural speed, but also as a complete driver capable of growing through a development path that, in Wheatley’s eyes, shares many points in common with Verstappen’s own rise to the top of Formula 1.