What Helmut Marko said to Gabriel Bortoleto in private conversation after ‘B-driver’ comments, never spoken before…’

Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko has already had his fair share of controversies in the 2025 Formula 1 season.

His latest comes after Red Bull decided to drop Liam Lawson after just two races. His Racing Bulls teammate Yuki Tsunoda will replace him for the remainder of the season.

Marko even wanted Lawson gone after Melbourne, having failed to reach Q2 and crashed out of the race. The New Zealander was demoted after the Chinese Grand Prix, where he qualified last twice for the Sprint and the race on Sunday.

The decision has been met with backlash from fans and pundits alike – and even from people within the team. Marko says Max Verstappen was against Lawson’s exit as the Dutchman felt the results would be better if the RB21 was easier to drive.

As well as making controversial decisions at Red Bull, some of the Austrian’s comments towards the rookie drivers have rubbed off the wrong way in 2025. Marko labelled Isack Hadjar ’embarrassing’ for his emotional reaction to his crash on the formation lap at the Australian Grand Prix.

But his comments towards Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto caused uproar and debate around the F1 paddock. Recently, the pair have spoken things out.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko? Everything to know

‘Everything is fine’ between Helmut Marko and Gabriel Bortoleto following private chat after ‘B-driver’ comments

Marko labelled Bortoleto as a ‘B-driver’ before his F1 debut. The Austrian was unconvinced by the Brazilian’s true speed due to his lack of wins in his F3 days.

The remarks were met with huge criticism on social media and in the F1 paddock. Martin Brundle hit back at Marko, stating that he should worry about his own drivers rather than others.

Bortoleto responded by doing the talking on the track. The 20-year-old outqualified Lawson in the Red Bull and reached Q2 in Melbourne.

The Brazilian beat the New Zealander again in qualifying in China, disproving Marko’s comments further. While there was clearly conflict between the pair, it seems any drama is now gone, according to journalist Julianne Cerasoli.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), she revealed that Bortoleto and Marko had chatted privately about the latter’s comments. They had ‘never spoken before’ this moment.

“You guys asked, so I went to ask Gabriel what his conversation with Marko was about. They had never spoken before, so he called Marko to officially introduce himself, and the Austrian even clarified the statement about the ‘B driver,” she said.

Cerasoli stated that pair has reconciled: “Marko said that what came out in the press was worse than what he said at the time, and that he thinks Gabriel is a very intelligent driver. And everything is fine between the two of them.

The journalist also clarified that Marko had not offered a place at Red Bull to the Brazilian. Bortoleto has a long-term contract with Audi, with the German manufacturer joining F1 in 2026.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

How has Gabriel Bortoleto done compared to the other F1 rookies so far in 2025?

Bortoleto came to F1 with serious hype after winning the F3 and F2 titles consecutively as a rookie. The 2025 season will be a challenging one, however, given that he is racing for Sauber.

The Hinwil-based team have arguably the slower car on the grid, despite already beating their 2024 points tally through Nico Hulkenberg in Melbourne. Sauber will not repeat that feat on ‘pure merit’ but has not stopped Bortoleto from putting in some solid performances.

Despite crashing out in Australia, he had reached Q2 in the C45, and he repeated that feat in Shanghai for the Sprint. While he is yet to score points, his performances have been encouraging.

Bortoleto’s start to the season has been so impressive that F1 Oversteer understands Audi will retain their drivers for another year. Despite having long-term contracts, the German manufacturers were considering dropping the Brazilian and Hulkenberg before their 2026 entry.

This appears to be a vote of confidence from Audi, which the rookie will certainly take into his stride for the remainder of the season. Manager Fernando Alonso has been impressed by Bortoleto’s professionalism after just two races in F1.