Bortoleto admits one scenario could change things with Verstappen: 'He probably wouldn't help me the way he does now'

The Brazilian driver, now in his second Formula 1 season and his first since Audi officially completed its rebranding of Sauber, has consistently spoken highly of the four-time world champion. The two have shared a close friendship for years, long before they found themselves racing alongside each other on the Formula 1 grid.

Speaking in an interview with Automoto.it, Bortoleto explained that he still considers Verstappen a close friend, pointing out that the two have rarely been in direct competition over the same results during the past two seasons.

However, he acknowledged that a title fight would inevitably change that dynamic, admitting Verstappen would likely no longer be as willing to help him with advice. Even so, the Brazilian said he still sees the four-time world champion as someone he enjoys spending time with away from the track, describing him as a friend who has always been generous with his guidance.

Speaking to the media, including GPblog, after the British Grand Prix, Hadjar admitted he could have approached his battle with his teammate differently, feeling he had been overly cautious. The Racing Bulls driver explained that he was initially able to match Verstappen's pace while following him, but his race took a turn for the worse when he suddenly lost performance. The switch to a new set of hard tyres only added to the confusion, before the team discovered the car was missing a significant amount of front-end load. After replacing the front wing, his pace immediately improved, leaving him frustrated by how much time had already been lost.

Despite the disappointing outcome, Hadjar described racing alongside Verstappen as a valuable experience. He praised the Dutchman's performance throughout the race, noting that he was once again competing at the front in the fight for the podium. At the same time, he admitted the front-wing issue prevented him from properly measuring himself against his teammate over a full race distance.