Verstappen hopes for a surprise podium from Bortoleto in 2026

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has highlighted Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto as a potential surprise podium finisher in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Dutch driver made the comments during a casual Instagram Q&A session with his Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar.

An Audi rookie catching attention

The Barcelona shakedown showed that Mercedes and Ferrari are already “world-class” in terms of reliability. Audi, meanwhile, experienced more challenges during the three days of testing at Montmeló. Despite this, the Audi R26 completed 243 laps overall. Project lead Mattia Binotto acknowledged that while several issues appeared, they were minor, and the team is not overly concerned about these early teething problems.

Verstappen’s view on surprise podiums

When asked who could provide a surprise podium in 2026, Verstappen replied: “I hope neither I nor Isack turn out to be surprises. A podium from Red Bull drivers is fairly expected. I hope the surprise of 2026 on the podium is Gabriel Bortoleto.”

Bortoleto’s promising debut

Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto are close friends, and the Brazilian impressed in his rookie F1 season with Sauber, scoring 19 points from five top-ten finishes. His best result came in Hungary, where he finished sixth, just ahead of Verstappen. His performances have not gone unnoticed, and several top teams have already taken note.

Gabriel Bortoleto was previously part of McLaren’s young driver program, but the Woking-based team allowed him to move to Sauber-Audi, giving the Brazilian the chance to step into Formula 1 and showcase his talent alongside the established stars of the grid.

Max Verstappen’s endorsement of Gabriel Bortoleto highlights the growing respect the young Brazilian has earned within the paddock as he transitions into Audi’s ambitious factory project for the 2026 season. By identifying his friend as a potential surprise podium finisher, Verstappen is signaling that Bortoleto’s rookie consistency at Sauber was no fluke, but rather the foundation for a significant career leap. Ultimately, while Audi faces a steep development curve following their reliability hurdles in Barcelona, the combination of Gabriel Bortoleto’s raw talent and the strategic oversight of Mattia Binotto suggests that the “four rings” could indeed provide the platform for a standout performance that justifies the hype surrounding F1’s newest South American star.

Despite Audi’s early technical “teething issues,” Max Verstappen believes Gabriel Bortoleto has the skill to take advantage of the 2026 regulatory reset and secure a landmark result for the new German works team.