Max Verstappen has already told Red Bull the perfect replacement if he retires from Formula 1

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen told Red Bull to ‘keep an eye on’ Gabriel Bortoleto long before he considered retiring from Formula 1, and that endorsement could now take on a new significance.

While Red Bull are still optimistic that Verstappen will continue in F1, they may also be making contingency plans in case the four-time world champion follows through on his threat to walk away at the end of the year.

Red Bull may struggle to attract top drivers after a disappointing start to F1’s new era and a string of high-profile departures, but Bortoleto could be a more realistic target.

Can Red Bull attract great drivers to their team if Max Verstappen leaves?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Max Verstappen told Red Bull to ‘keep an eye’ on Gabriel Bortoleto

Verstappen told Red Bull to monitor Bortoleto even before he reached F1, as he revealed on the Pelas Pistas podcast last year. The Brazilian won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in back-to-back seasons, emulating George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri.

Bortoleto and Verstappen have formed a strong bond since the former made his debut with Sauber last year. They are known to prepare for races together using their online simulators.

“I already said to the team, before he got to Formula 1, keep an eye on Gabi,” he said. “Now, we’re all here, and let’s just see how it evolves.

• READ MORE: Lando Norris contract clause gives Zak Brown the perfect opportunity to sign Max Verstappen

“I don’t even know how long I’m going to do myself. I know that I have a contract until ’28, but after that, nothing is agreed.

“In general, I hope for Gabi that he gets an opportunity within the next three or four years to really be competitive at the front and fight for podiums. If that’s in the same team, then even better.”

Bortoleto’s Audi contract runs until at least the end of 2026. Even if the German manufacturer have the rights to his services beyond that, Red Bull could make a significant and persuasive offer.

Why Gabriel Bortoleto is the perfect signing for Red Bull

Compared to an all-time great like Verstappen, Bortoleto’s CV clearly seems underwhelming. But if they need to fill a seat for 2027, it looks unlikely that Red Bull will be able to sign a superstar.

They could go for a multiple race-winner like Carlos Sainz, who isn’t quite in that bracket. But Bortoleto arguably has a higher ceiling.

• READ MORE: Red Bull more likely to sign Carlos Sainz than Charles Leclerc if Max Verstappen retires

The Brazilian produced some fine drives in the second half of his rookie season, most notably a P6 at the Hungarian GP. He also scored Audi’s first points as an F1 manufacturer in Australia.

Ted Kravitz says ‘all the top teams’ in F1 want Bortoleto, but Red Bull may have the vacancy at the right time. Audi are extremely ambitious and well-resourced but an approach from Laurent Mekies’ squad would still be extremely hard to turn down.

With Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar, Red Bull would have two potential world champions. Across all of their sporting venues, they are committed to giving young talent a platform, so this is the kind of move that could excite the Austrian hierarchy.