4x F1 world champion Max Verstappen has picked Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto as his surprise podium finisher for the 2026 F1 season. The Dutchman has developed a close relationship with Bortoleto over the last few years and wishes his friend on the podium in 2026.
Gabriel Bortoleto has had a sharp career progression over the last two years. The young Brazilian won the 2024 F2 championship, beating now-Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar on the final day. After that, he was picked up by Audi to be their driver alongside veteran Nico Hulkenberg as the team transitioned from Sauber into the German outfit in 2025 and 2026.
Bortoleto impressed many with his performance in his debut F1 season, finishing the 2025 season with 19 points in what was a difficult-to-drive Sauber. Now, he is all set for his second F1 season as an Audi driver, amid the new regulations.
During this period, Bortoleto has also grown close to Max Verstappen, who has, in some ways, taken the youngster under his wing. Verstappen has also praised Bortoleto for his performances and temperament over the last year.
Now, the Red Bull driver has also picked Bortoleto as his surprise podium finisher during the 2026 season. When asked during the Red Bull launch event who could be a surprise face on the podium next season, both Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen first joked about how they hope it won’t be either of them, before the latter added:
“I would like to see Gabi (Bortoleto) on the podium.”
Bortoleto managed to secure five points-scoring results amid a difficult season for Sauber in 2025. His best result came at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished sixth and ahead of Max Verstappen.
A podium, or even a top-five finish in 2026, really would be an unexpected result for Bortoleto, as not much is known about the Audi R26 at the moment. The German manufacturers are also entering the F1 grid as a works team in 2026 with no previous track record in the sport. Previously, the Sauber team, which Audi has acquired, was purchasing its power units from Ferrari.
Audi’s journey is one of numerous stories to look forward to during the 2026 F1 season, which is set to see one of the biggest technical regulations changes in recent years. The first pre-season test in Barcelona was recently concluded, and the teams will have two more tests in Bahrain to test out their 2026 challengers before the season officially kicks off in Australia on March 8.
Max Verstappen Reflects on Red Bull’s Barcelona Pre-Season Test Performance
Max Verstappen has explained that Red Bull has a lot of work to do after a promising performance at the Barcelona Pre-Season Test last week. The 28-year-old explained that the new regulations pose a difficult challenge for all teams, and the Austrian team certainly have ground to cover.
Speaking during the test in Spain, Verstappen explained that Red Bull hit the ground running quickly at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, much to his delight. But he also shared that the team has a lot of work still to do before the season starts.
“Still work in progress, but I think we’ve hit the ground running quite well with those things. It’s still a very complicated formula for everyone, there’s still quite a bit of work to do, but that’s normal,” said Verstappen [via Motorsport].
Max Verstappen will have a new teammate at the start of the 2026 season for the second year in a row, as Isack Hadjar steps in for Yuki Tsunoda, who has taken up the role of reserve driver at the Milton Keynes-based outfit. Things also look quite different within the leadership group at Red Bull, as neither Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko will be present in the garage for the first time since the team’s inception in 2005.
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