The Max Verstappen advice that had Bortoleto’s engineers swearing

Gabriel Bortoleto was back in the points at the Mexico City Grand Prix and it was partially down to an inspired, or “incredibly stupid” call from Max Verstappen to start the race on the medium tyres.

Bortoleto qualified 16th at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez with Verstappen fifth after a trying qualifying that left the Red Bull driver declaring he needs “people to retire in front of me to go ahead”.

The Max Verstappen advice that paid off for Gabriel Bortoleto

Putting his troubles aside for the evening, Verstappen went for dinner for Bortoleto, who had become a good friend through their mutual enjoyment of sim racing.

It was during that meal that he gave Bortoleto advice that would help the Sauber driver race from 16th on the 10th at the chequered flag to score his first point in four race weekends.

It was advice that Verstappen also followed as he went from fifth to third, closing the gap in the title race to just 36 points.

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Bortoleto revealed it was advice from Verstappen that had him swapping from soft to medium tyres for the start of the grand prix.

Speaking on the Pelas Pista podcast, he said: “We went to have dinner the night before Mexico, and I came up with the idea in my mind I wanted to start on the soft.

“And I was like, I want to start on the soft, because, you know, softer compound, I want to make some moves in T1 and then he was like, ‘don’t f***ing do that!’ Cook the tyres in five laps.

“All right, I’m sorry!

“My brother was with me and then I wake up the next morning, ‘I want to start on the medium’. ‘Why? What the f**k changed?’

“Then with engineers the same thing. I arrived, ‘I think I go on the medium’, the guy looked at me ‘f**k I prepared, three hours!’

“But, you know, I had a couple of conversations.”

But it wasn’t just the Sauber engineers who were baffled by Bortoleto’s call, Verstappen revealed Red Bull were also perplexed given he and the Brazilian were the only two to line up on the grid on the red Pirellis.

“To be fair,” said Verstappen, “when I lined up and my engineer was, ‘um everybody around you is on soft’. Just you and Gabi.

“I’m like, ‘or we are incredibly smart, or we are incredibly stupid’ to not understand that the soft was really good.

“But it worked out well because at the end of the day, the longest stint had to be then on the worst tyre for most, really. And we survived in the first stint to be on the worst tyre of the two. And then in the second stint, you’ve good pace, better grip, culd make some moves, yeah, for me, at least.”

SO Max and Gabi went out for dinner before the Mexican GP and basically Max told Gabi NOT to start on the softs in the race and Gabi ended up listening and was on the same strategy as Max. 😭

“Can I say it” my shayla pic.twitter.com/J6fadoDxdO

— Laura 🦋 (@formuLau16) November 7, 2025

Bortoleto was quizzed on his friendship with Verstappen during Thursday’s FIA press conference for the Brazilian Grand Prix and revealed how the Dutchman had been helping him since his Formula 3 days.

“He helped me a lot. We do a lot of sim together, we play games together. He’s a guy I admire a lot. He’s been working together with me since F3, helping me out there and helping me on all my path to Formula One.

“He speaks Portuguese very well – so if you’re speaking Portuguese around him, he can understand. He just doesn’t talk it.

“But yeah, many words – and definitely a guy that I’m proud to be a friend of, and happy that he helped me so much.”

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