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Gabriel Bortoleto’s ‘Mistakes’ in F2 Title Winning Season Remind Felipe Massa of Max Verstappen

Somin Bhattacharjee
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FIA AWARDS CEREMONY 2024 BORTOLETO Gabriel, FIA Rookie of the Year, VERSTAPPEN Max, Red Bull Racing, FIA Formula 1, portrait during the 2024 FIA Awards Ceremony

Gabriel Bortoleto, a rookie in the 2024 F2 season, won the title and in the process secured a ticket to the pinnacle of motorsport. He will be part of the F1 grid in 2025 with Sauber, with huge expectations already placed on his shoulders.

His performances this year have drawn in comparisons with Max Verstappen, something Felipe Massa pointed out recently. The Brazilian driver, however, did not see similarities in their strengths, but in weaknesses.

Massa labeled Bortoleto’s driving style aggressive, which is a label Verstappen has been stuck with since he made his debut in 2015. Throughout the F2 calendar year, Massa noticed Bortoleto make some slipups which reminded him of Verstappen. “He also made some mistakes,” Massa said.

“But that happens when you have such an aggressive and fast driving style. We have seen that before with Max Verstappen, for example. ”

However, Massa also added that like Verstappen, Bortoleto could turn this into his advantage in the coming years. Talking about his strengths, the former Ferrari driver added, “He shows good things – especially his catch-up actions are impressive. He is more aggressive than other drivers, and his speed is also impressive. ”

At the same time, Bortoleto will have to be careful about not going overboard, something Verstappen has been deemed guilty of in his 10 years in F1.

What Bortoleto will look to avoid

Given the choice, Bortoleto would love to have the career Verstappen has had — four World Championship wins and the third-highest number of race victories ever (63). But in his first few years in F1, Verstappen had several on-track incidents that would result in crashes or tussles with other drivers.

These added to penalties and also made him perennially dangerous and aggressive in the eyes of many. Even today, the Dutchman tends to test the limits of the race officials, resorting to desperate measures to make overtakes or defend his positions.

This would be something Bortoleto may not want. However, he may not have to worry himself with this in his first season, as Bortoleto will be driving for Sauber — a team expected to be rock bottom, far away from all the action.

Post Edited By:Vidit Dhawan

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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